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Many
Success Starts Here!!!
The entire
beginning with a successful freshman year.
Drawing from recent educational research and experience, the MFHS staff have developed the
following Eight Essential Elements for Success:
â strong, purposeful beginnings
â a “school within a school” environment for transitional students
â Individualized placement based on authentic assessment of academic skills
â personalized instruction
â Enrichment and team-building activities
â High expectations
â Home-school partnership
â Vocational planning
The Many Farms High School Freshman Academy (since 1998) and, Many Farms FreshStart have been created to specifically
address the needs of in-coming freshman. Both of these unique programs incorporate the Eight Essential Elements for Success.
Many Farms FreshStart
During the first week of school we are dedicated to
â familiarizing the students
with each other and the
MFHS campus, rules , policies, and procedures
â accessing academic skill level
â scheduling and placing students into ability-grouped classes
In essence, we want to find out the student’s ability levels before classes start. Assigning students to classes and later
finding out that the placement is inappropriate results in disruptions to a students education that often last a life-time.
FreshStart was developed to maximize use of instructional time, as well as further ensure student success with a strong beginning.
Particular emphasis will be given to the development of an Individual Portfolio and an Individual Education Plan for each student.
Initially, the Individual Portfolio will include the following:
â Personal Data Record with photograph
â
â Math assessment forms
â Language Arts assessments forms
â Writing Sample
â Behavioral Contract
â Bilingual Program assessment forms
â Learning Styles Survey
â Health Screening forms
The Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be developed by the Freshman Academy Staff (teachers, counselor, and coordinator),
who will evaluate the strength and weaknesses of each student’s initial Individual Portfolio. The IEP will include goals not only
for each academic subject area but will also include vocational, affective, and social goals. The IEP, which will be reviewed
with the student, will be the basis of his/her class schedule.
The
to increased emphasis on the freshman class and implementation of the Replacement Model. It has since bee expanded and refined
into five primary components:
A Designed Ares of the Campus for Freshman Classes
The east wing of the academic
building has been designed as the
education all freshman classes are held in the freshman wing.
Skill-Appropriate Placement into Core Classes
MFHS freshman are required to take the following core classes:
â Reading/Literature
â Language Arts I
â Freshman Math (Pre-Algebra or Algebra I)
â Freshman Earth Science
â World Geography
â Freshman Health and Physical Education
These classes are leveled to address the typically wide-ranging levels of academic achievement among freshman (e.g., from less than
fourth grade level to twelfth grade level and above). For example, using the Chapter I/Title I Replacement Model, there are two levels
of Language Arts I offered-a high level and a low level. Similarly, in math, students may be placed in Pre-Algebra or Algebra I.
Although each level of a given class addresses different skill-levels, it is hoped that all students are ready for tenth grade by the end of
the school year. As stated previously, students are placed into classes based on the assessment conducted during FreshStart.
Northwest Evaluation association (NWEA)
Students are tested during the first week of school in math, language usage and reading. The Northwest Evaluation Association
(NWEA) assessment is use for the testing. The NWEA tool provides us with very accurate data that we use in scheduling classes.
The result is students are placed according to their abilities and not because they are freshman and traditionally every freshman takes
designed classes. The placement method has failed generations of students.
Freshman-Specific Academic Counseling
To aid in their transition to high school, the freshman have their own academic counselor who is actively involved in the Freshman
Academy program. She gives vocational presentations to the freshman classes. She renders technical support in the difficult task
of skill-based scheduling. She regularly counsels freshman with personal and/or behavioral problems. A mid-term grade report
issued to all parents. The behavioral reports keep parents informed as to the social conduct of their child. The freshman staff
holds their own detention period separate from the upper classmen.
Freshman Seminars, Field Trips, and Activities
To further augment efforts to
address life issues and career exploration, the
of nationally recognized paid consultants, conducts all-day seminars on these topics for the freshman and their families. The
reward progress toward IEP goals and to further develop a sense of community within the group. The freshman class meets
as a group once every Three weeks, or so and the staff discusses academic and social items. Want to know what your child
is doing in school? Log on to the school’s website and you will find a list of your child’s teachers. The teacher’s notes will tell
you what your child is doing in class each day, when they will have a test or quiz, if they have homework or not, when an
assignment is due, etc. Please note, there may be times when it is necessary to call in parents for a conference with one or
more of your child’s teachers. These meeting are necessary for your child’s academic and social development.
Since 1998, the freshman
program at
specific needs of this school’s most vulnerable population. Our freshman program works! We concentrate on building a
strong academic foundation for each freshman that translates into success and a diploma. We emphasis breaking bad
academic and social habits and instilling within each student pride and confidence that they can succeed in high school and beyond.
For further information regarding FreshStart, the
Many
