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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services, April 13 Luxury rehab center planned at former Circle of Teran church Ashland City Council wants changes to agreement with ODOT for I-5 welcome center Deputy Chief O'Meara named interim chief of Ashland Police Department Emergency services, April 12 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, April 13 Emergency services, April 12 Emergency services, April 11 Jury awards more than 200K in Rogue River dog-barking case, orders dogs debarked Alleged subscription scammers may be violating state restraining order Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s earthquake election Former state Senate President Brady Adams dies Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for one year Arthur I. 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One Direction stays the course Community Events Ashland Co-Dependent Film Festival 2015 Pear Blossom Festival kicks off in Medford Ashland Independent Film Festival announces 2015 lineup Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival MailTribune.com rolls out new calendar Dining Restaurant inspections, April 12, 2015 La Tapatia offers authentically delicious cuisine RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: Sunday, April 5 The Laughing Clam in Grants Pass offers seafood-heavy menu Standing Stone owners to open Medford brewpub and restaurant Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW As Talent businesses close, council hears economic development plan ... Grants Pass state rep walks away from motorcycle crash unscathed ... Senators join in Oregon Caves dedication ... As Talent businesses close, council hears economic development plan ... Grants Pass state rep walks away from motorcycle crash unscathed ... Senators join in Oregon Caves dedication ... MEDFORD SCHOOLS Prepping before 9th grade New program would help struggling 8th-graders By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 9, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 9, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Not every eighth-grader in the Medford School District will advance to the ninth grade automatically this fall if the district decides to implement what tentatively has been called the Medford Prep Program. The program, which is still in its infancy, would be an option for middle school students who aren't  academically and developmentally prepared for the rigors of high school. These students would be referred to the program for an additional quarter or more of intensive remediation. A committee of district and school officials is still working out the details of the program which, pending board approval, would be piloted this fall. Medford schools Superintendent Brian Shumate said the program is not intended to be a warehouse for failing kids, but a transition program so they’ll be more successful in high school. “We measure a lot these days on being college and career ready, but we don’t focus on being high school ready,” Shumate said Monday during a work session with the Medford School Board. Classrooms adjoining Central Medford High School and the district offices would be allocated to the program. And the district would either hire three additional teachers — for an annual cost of about $300,000 — or shift qualified and interested teachers from other schools in the district, said Chief Operations Officer Brad Earl. "But at this point, we think we can staff the program with our own teachers," said Director of Secondary Education Todd Bloomquist. Students who are immature or have poor academic and attendance records and a history of interventions would be candidates for the program, Shumate said, adding that the prospect of not starting high school with their peers may be enough to make some students get their act together. “Our goal is not to retain and punish, but to help a kid get prepared and sometimes that takes longer for some kids,” he said. The program would accommodate as many as 60 students and would teach good study habits and behavioral management, in addition to academics. Some students may get caught up in a quarter or during the summer, while others would require a year of remediation, during which time they could begin earning high school credits. The committee referred to this as the 8.5 grade level. The current system only works for about 70 percent of students, said Linda White, principal of McLoughlin Middle School and a member of the planning committee. “It’s not that students get to high school and all of a sudden fail,” she said. “They've been failing all along.” Shumate said he hopes the program would improve the district's four-year graduation rate — currently at 67.3 percent — and reduce the number of fifth-year seniors at all three high schools. At the work session, board members expressed concerns that the program would become a “hodgepodge” for students who weren't making it and that it would put OK students in need of a few interventions in the same lot as failing students. “I want to make sure that this opportunity isn't us segregating specific kids,” said board member Marlene Yesquen. “I want to catch these kids and not let them fall through cracks, but I don’t want this to be another Band-Aid.” Shumate and committee members assured the board that the program would not become an alternative middle school. Once the district has permission from the School Board to go forward, McLoughlin and Hedrick middle school staff will begin screening students and talking to parents about the opportunity. "As a parent, if my student was struggling for years and the school district was offering a smaller learning environment where my student could get the behavioral or academic skills they were missing, then I would consider that a very positive thing," Bloomquist said. Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt . By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 9, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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