School plan to improve includes 4-day week

Shivers Academy, a Harrison School District 2 charter school with a low rating, has made changes this fall to improve academic performance, including going to a four-day schedule.

The charter high school was rated unsatisfactory on the 2006 School Accountability Reports, prompting the district to create a school improvement plan for Shivers.

“We’re accepting the challenge,” said Shivers’ Executive Director Wanda Cousar.

The 32 Shivers students attend school 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Cousar said she came up with the new schedule after realizing many rural districts attend classes four days a week.

“We’re in the city, but we’re really rural,” Cousar said, noting the smallschool environment.

Cousar said a four-day week could boost student attendance; it’s one less day students, many of whom don’t have reliable transportation, have to find a way to school.

Juniors Jennifer Jackson and Angel Santini said they like the schedule changes.

“It’s a long day, but . . . we’re learning a lot more,” Jackson said.

Having Monday off eliminates an excuse for not finishing homework, students said.

Another change at Shivers is the addition of a student and family resource center to help students with nonacademic needs.

Cousar said some students have been in trouble with the law; others are young parents or in foster care. Most, for whatever reason, didn’t fit in a traditional high school.

Matching students, and their families, with the nonacademic services they need can help students stay in school and be successful, Cousar said, but “we do not handle that in the classroom.”

The school has been working hard to address social and emotional issues of students and their families, said Maryann Wiggs, Harrison D-2 assistant superintendent of instruction.

“What they know they need to work on is the academic side of the house,” Wiggs said.

Shivers has so few students taking the CSAP test the percentages of those scoring proficient or advanced aren’t typically released. But Wiggs said more than half of Shivers students are making “real AYP,” which is a year’s worth of skills learned in a year’s time. That can leave students still below grade level, she added.

The district is working closely with the charter school. Cousar and new Shivers teachers participated in district back-to-school and orientation activities with other Harrison staff, Wiggs said. District administrators will be doing spot observations at Shivers.

“We think it’s in our best interest to have Shivers be successful,” Wiggs said.

Although CSAP scores are important, district administrators and board members will look at a variety of evidence, including attendance rates, discipline records and other test scores, Wiggs said.

“CSAP is one piece of a bigger body of evidence,” she said.

Students said they don’t worry too much about test scores.

“I know I’m doing my best,” Santini said.

Other changes at Shivers include:

- A new location at 2573 Airport Road

The school didn’t move far from its previous location at 2555 Airport Road, but it’s far enough to ease school official’s concerns about safety. The school was between a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center and a bar.

Now the school is between several beauty salons and community groups and Cousar hopes to link with them, she said.

- A new dress code

Shivers is requiring casual business attire during the school day, meaning khaki pants and a collared shirt.

Santini said the dress code saves him time in the morning because there’s no wondering what to wear.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0394 or shari.griffin@gazette.com

Shivers Academy opened in 1998 under the name Tutmose Academy. The school became Shivers Academy in 2004.

ENROLLMENT/DEMOGRAPHICS

Shivers’ enrollment is typically between 40 and 50 students in grades nine through 12. Roughly 83 percent of Shivers Academy students are minorities.

SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTS

In six years of school accountability reports, Shivers Academy has received four low ratings and two unsatisfactory ratings. The most recent rating, for the 2005-06 school year, was unsatisfactory.

TEST SCORES

The percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced on Colorado Student Assessment Program test scores is unknown because the school has fewer than 16 students taking each test. If fewer than 16 students take a test, scores are not reported to the public. In 2006, scores were reported for 10th-graders. Six percent were proficient or advanced in reading, while none were proficient or advanced in writing or math.

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS

The school did not make adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act in 2005-06. However, the school does not receive federal Title 1 funding and would not be forced to make changes even if it continues to not make progress.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Call 473-6566 or visit www.shiversacademy.org