Document text
57 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 6, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 19, 2004 North, South seek small-school approach By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Medford’s two high schools are among eight finalists for the Oregon Small Schools Initiative, a $25 million program that aims to boost student performance by transforming huge schools into smaller, more personal units. Although the program is new, organizers say it’s telling that two high schools in the same district made the cut from a field of 23 statewide applications. "Each school became a finalist on its own merit," said Karen Phillips, director of the Small Schools Initiative. Four schools will be chosen by April 28 to implement the program that creates autonomous schools of no more than 400 students, Phillips said. "I think our chances are extremely good," said Adrienne Hillman, a North Medford teacher who helped coordinate the school’s application. "I think it says a lot about what’s going on in education in Medford." Advertisement The goal of the initiative is to boost achievement and graduation rates of minority students, while also creating a more personalized environment for all students, said Hillman. Education experts generally agree that large high schools contribute to a feeling of anonymity that impedes student performance. "It’s not just trying to make personal connections; it goes way beyond that," said Hillman, who is president of the North Medford site council. "It tries to close the achievement gap between those students who are making it in high school and those who are not." The program, funded through a $25 million joint grant of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Meyer Memorial Trust, is open to Oregon schools of 700 students or more with high rates of poor and minority students. Both North and South Medford high schools qualified under requirements that schools have at least 20 percent of students enrolled in free or reduced meals programs and at least 15 percent minority enrollment. Enrollment at North is more than 1,800 students this year, while enrollment at South is about 1,700. Minority enrollment on both campuses is about 16 percent, figures from the state Education Department show. About 27 percent of South students and 22 percent of North students qualify for the federal free and reduced lunch program. If the local schools are selected, it takes about two years of planning and training to implement a new internal structure, Phillips said. She noted that the physical structure of existing high schools won’t change much under the plan. Exactly what the revamped internal structure will be is up to the community to decide, said Hillman. There’s no one model that all schools must adopt. Generally, however, the goal is to keep kids within a single cohort of students and instructors throughout high school. "It provides a smaller community of teachers to connect with a smaller group of students," Hillman explained. Medford School Board member Cynthia Wright said she supported the North and South high schools’ application. She noted that the plan maintains large-school athletics while implementing small-school academics. "I think that the fact that they’re both trying to get it and that they’re both finalists is a plus for the community," Wright said. For more information about the Oregon Small Schools Initiative, visit the Web site: www.e3oregon.org/small_schools Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times