AT RISK: COMMITTEE SEARCHES FOR WAYS TO HELP STUDENTS STAY IN SCHOOL

Cape Girardeau Schools have kicked off a number of new activities addressing at-risk students, including an "adopt-a-student" program and an overall awareness campaign.

The Cape Girardeau school committee studying at-risk students met Tuesday to discuss plans for the year. The committee was formed last year to study ways the school can help keep students from dropping out.

"The school district already does a lot of things," said James Watkins, principal at Washington Elementary School and co-chairman of the committee.

"I have a list of 20 things we are already doing," said Gerald Richards, vice principal at Central Junior High.

"We are implementing some new things this year, and we are looking into some specialized programs for specific groups of students for next year," said Carolyn Vandeven, principal at L.J. Schultz Middle School and the other co-chairman of the committee.

"Every building in Cape Girardeau has a goal they are working toward," Vandeven explained. "And we have a district-wide goal of increased awareness."

In addition to the goal, each building administrator is planning a training session for faculty and staff members on at-risk students.

"All the things we are doing this year are things that don't cost money," Vandeven said.

The committee is in the process of gathering information to make specific recommendations that will become part of the district's budgeting processes.

"We felt the best place to begin was with our faculty," Vandeven said.

Central High School Principal Dan Milligan said, "I think one of the most important things we can do is talk about the attitudes of teachers towards these students."

One of the new ideas being implemented in many buildings is called adopt-a-student. The program matches a teacher with a student. The teacher keeps in touch with the student and becomes a friend or mentor.

Last year at Central High, a type of adopt-a-student program was started with pregnant teens.

"The adopt-a-student idea was one heard at a convention and brought back to this committee," Vandeven said.

She added: "I think it's a great idea. It does a lot of things. By putting a faculty member on a one-to-one basis with a child, to keep up with that child, it lets that child know they are wanted, missed and (that) someone at school cares about them."

The committee is continuing to compile information about who is dropping out to create a profile of students at risk in Cape Girardeau.

Watkins said, "By using this profile, ideally we can identify children at risk early and maybe we can make an impact, a change. That's our goal."

The committee plans to list programs currently in place to meet the needs of at-risk students. It will also ask what the school system is doing to contribute to students dropping outs and what might be done to help these students.