What is the Opportunity Program?
The Opportunity Program is an alternative education program designed to motivate and encourage 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students to use positive behavior and be successful academically so as to return to their home school of attendance in the shortest time possible. The program has smaller classes and extra support for students including a 25:1 or less student to teacher ratio, a classroom aide, on-site counselor, and district security personnel. Staff works individually on academics and social skills in order to help students become successful and productive citizens.
Students must attend the program for a minimum of one complete grading period before consideration is made to return a student to their home school. This length of time allows staff to evaluate behavior and academic success and determine whether or not the student is a good candidate to return to their home school and be successful. Staff work with students to help them develop goals to attain passing grades and exhibit positive behavior, while meeting the required 95% attendance..
Students are placed in Opportunity through one of four pathways:
1. Child, Welfare and Attendance Department referral pending stay of expulsion
2. School Attendance Review Board Attendance or Behavior contract
3. Student enrolling in the district from a similar program from another district
4. Parent request through the Opportunity Principal
All students are bussed to and from school.
Expectations
Students in the Opportunity Program, in general, are distracted from learning in the regular school environment. Because of this, we have a more strict environment than a regular campus. Students are never left alone. In the classroom, teachers and aides instruct the students. Our campus principal, security personnel and counselor also routinely visit the classroom. During other times of the day such as breakfast, lunch, restroom breaks, and P.E., our staff closely monitor the students. As a result, our staff is constantly working with students on academic success and social behavior norms. Students also receive informal and confidential counseling from our on-site counselor.
One of the biggest changes for students is not having a backpack. Students will bring personal items that do not belong at school in their backpacks and these personal items become a distraction. Students are not allowed to wear hats or hoods as well, for the same reason. The policies and procedures, contract, and agreements are included in the resource section below. Every item listed in these documents have been carefully developed based upon the needs of our students in order to best benefit our students and eliminate distractions so that they can be successful in the shortest amount of time.
