Office of Graduation Initiatives Best Practices

Efforts are predicated upon the belief that each student is unique and must be nurtured in a manner that meets individual needs. Comprehensive strategies are grounded in research and address locally identified needs. Inclusive programming targets individual students, parents/guardians, school personnel and the community at large. 

FACE: Forsyth Academy for Continuing Education

• Are you a former student who left high school before graduating?
• Are you a current high school student behind in credits or struggling to keep up?
• FACE may be your answer!

FACE is an evening program housed at the Career Center for high school students that serves returning students, currently enrolled students identified as in imminent danger of dropping out, and seniors who need a credit recovery option. Student referrals are made by home school counselors.  Classes are offered for credit recovery and for new course credit using blended learning instruction.  Classes meet Monday-Thursday from 4:30pm-7:00pm. Students may enroll at any time during the school year.  The Coordinator and Counselor provide administration support, academic advising, course scheduling, personal counseling and post-secondary planning.  For more information, contact your home school counselor or these FACE personnel:

Mrs. Cheryle Belo, FACE Counselor 336-727-8185  cebelo@wsfcs.k12.nc.us

Graduation Initiatives Cohort Teams

These teams, established at each high school, use data to identify school needs and devise strategies to increase the school and district graduation rates and decrease the school and district dropout rates.  The team is also charged with the responsibility to create a targeted plan to implement the 20-Day Process for reporting dropouts.

Mentoring Programs

Supportive mentoring programs provide our students with the encouragement they need to succeed.  While many schools offer mentoring programs specific to the school site, we also support the following district programs:

• Senior Academy-sponsored by the WS Chamber of Commerce; operates in 5 high schools-Carver, East, Glenn, North and Reynolds; individual pairings of adult mentors with seniors who need all classes to graduate on-time; mentor-mentee meetings are held during the school day at the school site
• Big Brothers Big Sisters-operates at Carver, East, North, Reynolds; individual pairings of adult mentors, “Bigs”, with repeat/struggling 9^th graders; mentor-mentee meetings are held during the school day at the school site
• Juntos-is a 21^st Century Learning Grant program sponsored by NC State University Extension Office, Crosby Scholars, YMCA of Northwest NC, and WS/FCS; operates at 2 high schools and 3 middle schools; open to all students with focus on serving Hispanic students; after-school sessions for mentoring, academic skill enhancement, and post-secondary planning; limited summer program

At-Promise Student Lists

In collaboration with our Research and Evaluation Department, students identified at risk of leaving school prior to graduating (early leavers) are provided to middle and high schools each fall.  Schools design supportive services aimed at keeping the students engaged in school with the goal of on-time graduation.

Early Warning Tracking System

Weekly identification of students based on attendance, discipline and core performance set standards.  Emails received by administrators, counselors and social workers provide real-time listings of students for targeted interventions.

In order to support our district goals, United Way of Forsyth has funded a 3 year grant focusing on work at eleven elementary, middle and high schools.  The established strategies include family engagement, intensive tutoring, college access programming, and reading interventionist.

Carver High School is the recipient of the Place Matter grant through United Way.  There are several strategies that were established to impact graduation at Carver including academic enhancements, intensive recruitment and retention, family engagement, community engagement, and college access and advising.

Data Compilation and Analysis

An Annual Graduation and Dropout Data Report is compiled through a collaborative effort involving NCDPI, and our district offices of Accountability, Research and Evaluation, ELL, and Technology.  The reports are strategically distributed at the school and district levels and are available online through our department website.