Students' learning styles: An alternative success

In the 42 smiling faces of Lincoln Hill High School's 2009 graduates, principal Dan Johnston sees success.

It's one of the accomplishments of the Stanwood Camano School District's alternative programs that the school board heard about last Tuesday.

In addition to graduating the largest number of students in the school's history, the overall number of students increased to an average of 185, with 118.6 in the school's alternative learning environment program, Johnston said. The program involves online, contract and independent study students.

Lincoln Hill's first goal is to engage students in education, he said.

This school year, nine of Lincoln Academy's eighthgraders became freshman. Of those, five decided to stay with Lincoln Hill High School fulltime, and four are on track to start their sophomore year. The sixth student is splitting time between Lincoln Hill and Stanwood High School (SHS), and is excelling. The others have left the district.

All nine of those students were at high risk, Johnston said. Seeing how well some of them did was exciting.

Lincoln Hill will continue to offer online classes next year. However, the school plans to require lab time and face-to-face contact with the students, he said. Although the program has improved, they felt support needed to increase.

Johnston said they want students to graduate high school, no matter which school they attend. Lincoln Hill's extended graduation rate is 39 percent, which is higher than other comparable alternative programs.

Like Lincoln Hill, Saratoga School, the district's home-based education program, offers flexibility for students and families, said Curt Chester, lead teacher.

Saratoga School had an average of about 93 students this year.

At Saratoga, the student and parents develop a learning plan with the help of a certificated teacher, Chester said. Those plans are adjusted as needed for the students.

Many of Saratoga's students take the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and Measures of Academic Progress, Chester said. Parents see the access to assessment as one of the benefits of the partnership program. The tests help them measure if what they are doing is meeting their goals.

The majority attend classes one day a week at Saratoga, he said. Those on the independent study program have weekly contact with one of Saratoga's staff.

Saratoga School could grow to serve 120 students with its current buildings, Chester said.

In a recent survey, parents indicated a desire to have Saratoga continue to provide core subject support, especially with science, Chester said. Parents also want more supplemental items, such as team projects or a Lego Robotics program.

In other school board news:

• In the food service program, the district is below its revenue and expense projections, said Gary Platt, the district's executive director of business and operations. The district sold less a la carte meals than budgets, meaning revenue from those meals was not received, and food for those meals didn't need to be purchased, bringing food costs down.

• The school board will hold a public hearing on the 2009-10 budget Aug. 18.

The district will have an estimated 4,913 students next year, Platt said.

The special education program will cost about $1.6 million more than state funding will cover, Platt said. The Learning Assistance Program will be about $104,000 over, and the transportation program will cost about $994,000 more than state funding.

In addition to next year's revenue decrease of $1.6 million, the district will also have an increase in cost of about $1.2 million, he said.

• The district is about 4 percent behind in local tax collection, which could get worse, Platt said.

• As of May, the school district's average number of full-time students reached about 5,010 . 34 students under budget.

Staff Reporter Kristi Pihl: 629-8066 ext. 125 or kpihl@scnews.com.