Agenda - 11-10-1998 - Attachment #11

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them, took an interest. They thrive on that." Being accepted by the Lincoln Center staff means something to students. They reported being concerned that people "thought we were serial killers" and were "always watching us." They now speak of individual Lincoln Center staff members with affection, describing their sense of humor or other positive attributes. Finally, most people interviewed saw the school as benefiting both the students and the home -base school. One principal said clearly, "when the program is running properly, it should be a win -win situation for everybody." When asked who benefited most from the presence of the alternative school, some stakeholders replied the home school benefits from having more options for students who are not being successful. Others replied that Lincoln Center staff benefited by being able to experience kids on a regular basis. But the most encouraging comment came from students who answered by saying in unison, throwing their arms in the air, "US!" Challenges Despite the many successes, Phoenix Academy faces substantial challenges as it begins the new school year. As the program expands, these challenges will need to be addressed to ensure on -going success. The first major challenge facing the school is communication with the referring schools. Throughout the first months of Phoenix Academy, communication with the home schools has been informal. Principals from these schools often dropped by when they were at Lincoln Center for other reasons. Some staff members regularly saw members of the home -base school staff outside of work and communicated on those occasions. However, no formal mechanism exists for communicating student progress back to the home school. Indeed, there was confusion as to whether home -base schools were responsible for giving grades or whether Phoenix Academy does this directly. Similarly, some members of the home -base school teams felt uninformed about the school's functioning. One person stated, "I didn't even know they'd re-named the school until I read it in the paper." Presently, students who have not been expelled or long -term suspended must consent to attend the program. There is a great diversity of opinion as to whether this policy makes sense. Several principals and other stakeholders believe that students do not generally have the foresight to make decisions of this kind. They believe the policy forces administrators to long -term suspend students in order to ensure that Phoenix Academy is their only public education option. Examples were given of students who were recommended to the school but refused Two of these students were sent to training school because of legal difficulties. Some administrators believed that this outcome might have been prevented if these students had been required to attend the alternative school earlier. Others involved with these children did not feel that attendance at Phoenix Academy would have affected the outcome. Other principals and program staff support voluntary participation. They believe that without it the program will become "like a prison" and that students must be open to trying the school in order for them to be invested in making change. One principal stated that leadership was the key to making the voluntary policy work saying "If the alternative school is presented as a positive and attractive option, students and their parents will be asking to go. Another believed that the policy served a good purpose in that it prevented the school from becoming a place where " over - zealous principals sent their problematic kids." Transitioning students out of Phoenix Academy is another challenge on the program's horizon. Currently, all students that have attended the alternative school this year will be returning in the fall. No one is eligible to leave until January of 1999. However.. from the 9