Last Friday, instead of hanging out with their friends and playing video games, three Westbrook students were camping in the Sebago Lake region in sub-freezing conditions with their teacher.

The camping trip was just one of the activities that Jon Ross head of the Westbrook School Department’s alternative learning program and the alternative learning program staff provide for kids to make sure that they stay interested and active in school.

The alternative learning staff includes teachers who excel in the classroom environment and also teachers with experience in Outward Bound, the National Ski Patrol, and the registered Maine guide system. “Our teaching staff is a lot more than just a teacher,” said Ross.

By getting the kids attention and providing them the flexibility that many of them need to succeed, students who might very well drop out of school are sticking it out and succeeding in getting their diplomas.

And the alternative learning program is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Westbrook High School is doing to keep kids in school.

Last week, Westbrook High School Principal Marc Gousse told the Westbrook School Committee that over the past five years, Westbrook High School has ranked in the top third in both the county and the state for fewest dropouts among public secondary schools.

Gousse attributes the school’s success to the way staff monitors and reaches out to students who are having trouble in their classes. He also attributes it to the school’s philosophy of fostering relationships between students and school administrators and teachers.

“There’s no magic dust or formula,” said Gousse. “I think it is about relationships. Kids know when you care. And that’s the biggest thing. One of the things we try to really do here…there ought to be at least one adult here in this building that a kid can connect to.”

The process of making sure kids stay in school begins with the homeroom teachers who see the same students every morning, some of them throughout their four years.

These teachers give the students their progress reports, which the students are required to take home and return signed. The teachers also call home to make sure the progress reports reach the parents.

To keep an eye on attendance, every day a call is made from the principal’s office to the homes of students absent that day. The school also has an absenteeism intervention policy for students with more than seven unexcused absences. That begins with informal meetings between the school and the family and moves through ever-more aggressive attempts at keeping the student in school.

Guidance counselors also provide a front-line alert mechanism for students who might be slipping. At any time, they can call in students and talk to them about potential troubles.

According to Gousse, every student’s situation is different, and the most important thing is to establish a dialogue.

“Nine times out of ten it’s about reaching out and caring,” he said. “It’s not about employing some sort of a consequence or some sort of a disciplinary measure. They just need to know that you care.”

After either a teacher or guidance counselor has expressed concerns about a student, the student assistance team provides a more formal guidance tool. Made up of guidance counselors and other staff, the student assistance team analyzes a student’s situation and develops an intervention strategy for that student.

“We’ve gone so far as to have assistant principals do home visits and pick up kids and actually bring them to school,” said Gousse.

According to Westbrook Substance Abuse Counselor Dr. Bruce Dyer, “making connections with the students and parents and trying to formulate some creative solutions before it gets to the point where the student says, ‘I don’t have any more options,'” is crucial. “And even then,” said Dyer. “They do have options.”

One of the options, which seems to be working well for some students is the alternative learning program. This program provides an option for students who may not succeed in the traditional school setting.

The program emphasizes working with students through personally tailored learning programs that rely heavily on a more tolerant and relaxed environment, flexible schedules, small classes, adjusted curriculum, adult education and work-based learning for students old enough to obtain employment.

“Our primary candidate is an above-average intelligence student, meaning they’re higher than regular IQ, but they’re failing almost all their classes and not coming to school,” said Ross. “If you’ve got an above-average intelligence student who’s failing almost everything and not coming to school, you’ve got a problem with your system. So we just come at it very differently. And lots of times it’s just about nurturing the student and building some self-esteem and getting them to engage back into school.”

In this setting, students can take just a couple classes and make up credits either through night classes or summer school or through work outside of school, often times in fields that interest them as a future career possibility. They also spend time doing activities such as the camping trip last weekend.

“We address the social, emotional, physical, and then academic needs of the kids,” Ross said. “Because without social, emotional, and physical pieces, the academic part never comes together…it’s like trying to teach a hungry child.”

One such student, 18-year old junior Derek Corliss, said that he didn’t do well in regular high school because he had a problem sitting still for long periods of time. Expelled from his hometown school in Freeport, Corliss said he probably wouldn’t be in school if it weren’t for the alternative learning program. “It’s definitely worth it because I want to go through school,” he said.

Another alternative learning student, 16-year old sophomore Brad Gordon, said that he gets to take his time on his subjects and can focus on the ones he likes more, which means he does much better. In the relaxed environment of the program, Gordon said he gets along better with his teachers, which has been a problem in the past.

“I would like to finish school,” said Gordon. “And I’ve actually said I would have dropped out if things had kept going the way they were.”

“Jon really takes the time,” Valerie Mellin, a mother of another student in the program. “I don’t know how he does it. He really cares about them, their future. He’ll do what it takes. And they learn on these excursions.”

For the camping trip last weekend, Ross took Corliss, Gordon, and another student, Norman St. Ours, up to the Sebago Lake region, for which they had to get special permission. As an assignment, Ross had Corliss make the phone call to secure permission for the trip. “He did great,” said Ross.

Gordon’s mother Linda Gordon appreciates the alternative learning program. “I think what they’re doing is awesome,” she said. “Ross is one of a kind. He’s great with kids.”

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