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»Alternative Program is a Success at TCHS
Posted Local at Apr 13, 2011
By Steven Star Boy
The Todd County High School Alternative Program has been going on for many years now and students are progressing and succeeding in the program.
Family Counselor Cory Lemmert helps maintain the program as far as setting up the students grades, classes and overall, points them in the right direction to succeed in a good education.
Ms. Deena Brodkorb handles History and English, and Mr. Gerald Ray takes care of Math and Science, for the credit recovery part of the program. While Dr. Charles Garret teaches Language-Reading, Writing and Social Studies. Mr Ben Whiting teaches Math and Science in the G.E.D. program. The program works in two different aspects, one being a credit recovery and another being the G.E.D. placement.
Students who are part of the program have the choice to go to the alternative program and catch up on their yearly credits, to either graduate or move up a grade. Or they have the choice to go straight through and obtain their G.E.D.
The alternative runs with the Odysseyware program, which gives the students the opportunity to work at their own pace. As for the G.E.D. test, the students have to go through five high stakes, very rigourous tests before their actual General Education Development Test.
The staff keep standards high for the students by making them do practice tests and having them score higher then the actual G.E.D. test to be sure they’re ready. The students must be dis-enrolled for the day of the test, and that day only. Students who are ready for the G.E.D. test go to the Adult Basic Education building.
The Credit Recovery part of the program takes care of students who moved from the main building to the alternative trailers to catch up on their grades and excel to get their Diploma.
The way the Odysseyware computer program works is it consists of five hundred and twelve lessons to each student. Students could do four lessons a day and be done in one year or two lessons a day and be done in two years. One of the dynamics to the program is the Lakota-English bi-lingual crossing of the cultures. It is a part of the way the staff supplements and enriches the program.
The Todd County High School Alternative Program is an ongoing, outreach to students who have a hard time in the main building due to numerous reasons personally. In return, the alternative gives the students a chance to move ahead educationally in the School system. If a student is dedicated, they could walk away with their High School Diploma or their G.E.D.
The Alternative program is located behind the Todd County High cafeteria.
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