Winner's Circle: M.E.R.I.T. (Meaningful Education Rooted in Transition) Program

 

Tom TenBrink, Jenison Public Schools
with Dale Ranson & Jim Smith

The M.E.R.I.T.(Meaningful Education Rooted In Transition)Program was designed for at-risk, special education students who desire an alternative educational style. It stresses employability skills, citizenship, and academic skills. It is a school-within-a-school model that serves 35 juniors and seniors at risk of dropping out of school. Two full time special education teachers and a social worker develop and maintain this all day program. The curriculum was developed with students’ interests in mind, the main emphasis being independent living after high school. Instruction in MERIT includes such areas as filling out job applications, creating a realistic budget, renting an apartment, paying taxes, setting up and using bank accounts, buying insurance, as well as general work place and employability skills.  Academic classes use real-life projects aligned with academic skills and course content. Students in the MERIT program run a school store, manage school wide recycling programs, create a yearbook, and are beginning a district-wide "green" initiative and food pantry.

The Merit Program began in 2008-2009 as a pilot program for at-risk special education students in jeopardy of dropping out of school. School was not meaningful to them and they were short on credits. 40 students went through a complex application process and 35 students (18 seniors and 17 juniors) were accepted into the program. The success of the MERIT program was startling. Students who had serious problems with absenteeism were suddenly showing up every day. The group of students bonded as a small community and held each other accountable to the social contract they developed together. Students took pride in their work and earned high school credits when others thought it was not possible. Part of their final exam was doing a job interview with the Superintendent. It was obvious from the interviews that took place these students learned a lot from their first year in the MERIT Program. Essentially, 35 young people who were on the verge of dropping out of high school found relevance in a program that was designed to meet their needs. As of 2009-2010, the MERIT program has 16 seniors and 16 juniors who are committed to earning their high school diploma through a different way of learning. All one has to do is to walk into the classroom these students now call home to see the difference the MERIT program has made in their lives.

 

For more information regarding this program, please contact Dana VandenBos at (616) 667-3236 or dvandenb@jpsonline.org.