What happens if a student fails a class the year before they graduate? Do the students face another semester of school? Do families have a year’s delay on a precious moment in their child’s life?
The answer is no. Rock Hill School has provided a summer school program for any student who did not pass a class in the past year. The program was offered at each of the district’s three high schools, and students who missed graduation have a special summer graduation ceremony upon completion of summer school.
Each student worked independently in an online learning program called GradPoint. The program is set up for every student based on the credit they need, and all students are tasked with a number of units to complete in their subject based on the grade they received during the school year.
Additionally, our students were grouped in classrooms based on the subjects they need completed, and each room had subject expert teachers available for assistance. “In this isolated setting, the students really have to be self-motivated,” said Northwestern teacher Missy Lehman. “The majority of students I’ve worked with have been hard-working through the past three weeks, and they’ve learned the value of focusing and working during the semester.”
In South Carolina, recovery programs award students with credit once they have achieved the minimum passing score. Students have only completed summer school once they have received a 70 or above on all unit quizzes and tests.
The summer school program had three sessions. Session 1 ran from June 11 through June 14. Session 2 ran from June 18 to June 21. Session 3 was an extended session that ran from June 11 to June 28. This session was for students who qualify for extra time based on their final grade in their class.
The first-ever summer school graduation takes place on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at the Central Office, 386 E. Black Street.