By Melanie Cohen

Recover, reclaim, recruit, retain and reinforce. Those are the lofty goals of the Battle Creek Public Schools in Michigan.

Earlier this month, Leon Buford, the director of the district’s student recovery program in Battle Creek, Mich., told AASA Conference participants he believed all school systems would benefit from student recovery programs, especially those in school communities with declining enrollment.

“Declining enrollment, my folks, means that we have a loss of revenue,” he said.

Each lost student in Buford’s district represents a reduction of $7,357 in state funds. In the 2007-2008 school year, his program recovered 78 students who had dropped out, regaining approximately $574,000 in state aid. The program also reclaimed 22 students who left the Battle Creek district, and it recruited 17 others who were previously homeschooled.

To recover students, the program sometimes uses unconventional strategies, such as bringing students to lunch and sending them encouraging letters. Students often admit their surprise at the attention to welcome them back into the system, Buford said. “Show them that there is hope.”

Battle Creek’s program aims to retain those students who have come back to school. Jeffery Dinkins, a caseworker at the student recovery program, explained some initiatives used to reinforce the program.

Battle Creek’s stay-in-school program is a 12-week course that uses a group therapy setting. The program gives students personal growth tools, such as conflict management skills, to help them succeed in their return. The student recovery program also houses a GED-preparation program and night school course offerings.

A credit recovery program enables those who have lost credits the opportunity to make them up. An expelled students program permits students to take courses outside of schools campuses.

Student recovery programs also must be flexible, placing students based on their individual needs. “Your program must be evolutionary in nature if you want to do an effective job,” Buford said, meaning that programs need to track exactly what is happening to decide how to maintain and expand themselves.

Battle Creek runs five alternative diploma programs and two specialized programs, all with state funds. These include a pregnant and parenting program and a “boot camp” program.

Some students have a hard time staying in traditional schools for reasons unrelated to bad behavior, said Gerry Mann, assistant superintendent in Battle Creek.

Many students often feel uninterested in their schoolwork or they feel like they’re being bullied. “A lot of kids were getting kicked out of school before they even got to school on the bus,” he said.

Charles Coleman, superintendent in Battle Creek, asserted that leaders must take initiative. “Paint a picture of what you want things to look like,” he suggested.

To evaluate the success of student recovery, look at overall losses over a five-year period to see the return on investment.

“There are no disposable students,” Coleman said. “We’re in the people business.”

Reprinted with permission from The Conference Daily, AASA, 2.16.08