Alternative progress: New Mission school gains students

ST. IGNATIUS — With 33 students already enrolled and in session, St. Ignatius School District’s new alternative school is off the ground and rolling through its first full semester.

The Mission Forward Academy began with just a single student at the beginning of the district’s second quarter on Nov. 1. Over time, the academy grew based on need and the its basic philosophy — that not every student works on the same level or the same pace.

Mission Forward Academy Director Lyle Cronk said the process began last August with a presentation to the school board and a lengthy period of time spent researching other districts’ alternative school programs. The research committee visited schools in Kalispell, Thompson Falls, Libby and Noxon to sample options and decide what the district wanted to do for its own academy.

“There was a basic plan in mind, but we wanted to see how different districts focused on different programs,” Cronk said.

The director said his academy is a mix of others he visited, as it offers opportunities for credit retrieval, opportunities for students who have dropped out to come back, and a chance for students to seek electives not offered in the classroom. Cronk added that his group runs the gamut of students — from elementary schoolers doing enrichment beyond their grade level, to a high schooler taking anatomy and physiology on his own as an elective, to the majority of the students who are catching up on core classes.

“Our number one priority is prevention,” Cronk said. “We try to keep kids from falling behind and to get their credits up before they get to the point of considering dropping out.

The director added that some of the students in the academy have come in and really thrived in the environment that allows them to work at their own rate. The academy uses curriculum from a popular online learning program called NovaNET, which tests students before they begin a class to test what they already know and to pinpoint the areas of needed improvement.

“This is really an opportunity to try and get regular course work done in a smaller, slower environment,” Cronk said.

The academy also offers tutorials for ACT and SAT testing preparation, which are available to all students. Students in the academy make the decision to be there with their families as the program is not required, and students are accepted on an individual case basis.

Cronk explained that as a former GED teacher at Kicking Horse Job Corps, he wants to make sure students can be successful in the academy or if its the best option for them. That being said, Cronk has already had students who had dropped out come back to school with the academy.

Kayla Tammen is just one success story of a student benefiting from the new program. Tammen, 17, gave birth to a child in 2008 and took the first semester off from school. The junior said she had started taking an online class independently in the fall, but preferred the academy’s program.

“I think it’s really cool, because this is easier and I don’t have to pay for it,” Tammen said.

While her parents help raise her child during the day, Tammen is back in school and not missing a beat. Through the academy, she is making up a required English class she missed in the fall and would otherwise have to wait until next fall to complete — thus holding up some of her other core classes.

With Mission Forward Academy’s help, Tammen is able to make up for missed time and keep on track for graduation. And she is on pace for that goal, having completed three of the five sections for the online English class through last week.

St. Ignatius superintendent Gerry Nolan applauded the school board’s support and faith in the academy, as reviews from parents and early success rates have been quite positive.

“We’re trying to serve kids where they are, whether they’re struggling or have talents and interests beyond what we teach,” Nolan said.

“It’s not necessarily a new idea, but when it’s done right it can help a lot of kids.”