OFE News Release
Tahlequah's Central Academy of Success to Receive Alternative Education Award
June 17, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has named the Central Academy of Success in Tahlequah as the recipient of its 2010 Oklahoma Award for Outstanding Achievement in Alternative Education. The $5,000 award will be presented among state alternative school peers Aug. 3 at the Superintendent’s Alternative Education Summer Institute in Oklahoma City.
“Removing obstacles and achieving results” is the mission of the Central Academy for Success, which serves students in grades 6 through 12 from Briggs, Grandview, Hulbert, Keys and Tahlequah districts. The academy also houses the Cherokee County Regimented Educational Academy, a “boot school” for students who have been assigned through juvenile or truancy courts.
“Central Academy begins all educational planning with a student by first identifying what the obstacles are in a student’s life and the habits that have made school progress unsuccessful for them in the past,” said Principal Sheryl Ridenour. “Each student is considered individually, and the coursework assigned and schedules set are prescriptive for that student to avoid the pitfalls of a student’s past being repeated.”
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| Students from the Central Academy of Success in Tahlequah explore the quality of water in their local creek with Jean Lemmon (right), a Blue Thumb education officer with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. The Central Academy of Success has been named the recipient of the 2010 Oklahoma Award for Outstanding Achievement in Alternative Education by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. |
The objectives of Central Academy of Success are to ensure that students attend school regularly, show competency in core curriculum and elective studies for high school credit, develop healthy lifestyles and habits, and develop appropriate social and citizenship skills to enable them to be lifelong learners. The campus is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, providing flexibility for working or parenting students. Small class sizes and individualized instruction help students recover credits twice as fast as they could in a traditional school setting.
“We are delighted to recognize the Central Academy of Success for its outstanding programs and its commitment to helping students succeed in school and in life,” said Emily Stratton, executive director for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a charitable organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools.
“Central Academy is a success among alternative schools in Oklahoma,” said teacher Marketta Johnson. “The faculty and staff care a great deal about the education and well-being of Central students. In turn, the students work hard to achieve their goals.”
Central Academy teachers use integrated thematic projects to help make learning relevant and engaging. Through the Oklahoma Conservation Commission’s Blue Thumb environmental education program, students had an opportunity to analyze water and living creatures in local streams. As part of their history class, students interviewed local veterans and created a Powerpoint presentation, which they presented to the community at a Veteran’s Day dinner. The school also has incorporated strategies from education researcher Robert Marzano’s book “Classroom Instruction that Works” to help accommodate individual needs and learning styles.
“Authentic learning happens when students are empowered,” Ridenour said. “Our students consistently improve their educational outcomes when enrolled with us.”
Central Academy was recognized by State Superintendent Sandy Garrett for achieving a standard of excellence above and beyond state requirements. In the past three years, students have improved their GPAs from below average to B average. Last year, the school met or exceeded all 17 state-established criteria for Alternative Education Programs, with notable achievements in effective instruction, intake and screening, collaboration, individualized instruction, counseling and social services, graduation plan, life skills instruction, arts education and serving the needs of students most at risk of not completing high school.
Another component of Central Academy’s success is its Care Team, a group of teachers, administrators, counselors, a nurse and resource officers who meet every two weeks to monitor the progress and needs of each student in the program. “The Care Team looks at any obstacles that are preventing students from progressing in school and addresses those obstacles on an individual basis,” Ridenour said.
Central Academy students also benefit from partnerships with many community organizations and services, including Boys & Girls Club, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Cherokee Nation, SMART Start, Oklahoma Juvenile Affairs, Cherokee County Systems of Care and Northeastern State University. The Oklahoma Parents as Teachers (OPAT) program is based at the school and provides child development classes and resources for parenting teens. The school will soon be adding a childcare facility for students with children.
Sandra Dearborn, a sexual assault services coordinator for Help In Crisis, said the Central Academy of Success has been a godsend to many students in crisis. “Cherokee County is among the top 10 counties in Oklahoma with the highest rates of poverty and incidents of domestic violence. Some students attend Central Academy who would otherwise be drop-outs. Students who progress in their work and complete school go far in developing an attitude to achieve and not remain in poverty. Education can serve as an open door to a better future for these students.”