About Fayette County Public Schools
Here in the Fayette County Public Schools, we
believe that "it's about kids." Our school
district, which is composed of 53
schools, exists to serve more than 35,000
students from the Lexington metro area,
and every decision we make – from the board room
to the classroom – is based on doing what's best
for our kids.
Our roughly 6,000 dedicated employees share a
common goal of providing a world-class education
for each and every student – and it shows. Time
and again, our students and staff members have
earned state and national accolades in academic,
athletic and professional contests. We are
blessed with amazing support from our families,
business community and civic leaders, who are
all intent on creating a positive environment
for kids to learn and succeed.
What Makes Our
School Special
Our highly
trained staff looks at each student’s needs individually and
works to find ways to make connections with kids and propel them
to achieve. We offer a daytime program for students who are
placed here because of behavior issues at other schools, a
computer-based credit recovery program for middle school
students who are more than two years behind, as well as night
school component for students who work and would like to
continue pursuing their high school diploma. The academy also
has three satellite locations at community centers and churches.
In addition, our e-school program helped more than 400 students
last year by allowing them to take coursework online. The
program at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy has garnered national
awards twice: from the National Dropout Prevention Network and
the International Association for Truancy and Dropout
Prevention.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Martin Luther King,
Jr. Academy for Excellence is designed to address the individual academic,
social/behavioral and physical and emotional needs of all students enrolled. A
unique feature of the Academy is an intervention model that utilizes Case
Management and Multidisciplinary Teams comprising social workers, teachers,
counselors, parents, students and community professional who combine their
efforts to work more holistically with students.
The program's duration
for each student ranges from 3 - 18 months, depending on the need of the
individual student. An extensive follow-up process to assist students and
schools in the students' transition back to the regular school environment is
another unique feature of the Academy. Parental involvement is an additional
critical component of the program. Parents will be encouraged to participate
in the initial meeting and throughout their child's enrollment in the academy.
The Academy is a committed and dedicated group of individuals who are
concerned and care about working with the students that need an alternative
educational setting.
MISSION
STATEMENT
Martin Luther King Jr.
Academy for Excellence provides students with a positive educational
opportunity that will allow them to succeed academically, behaviorally, and
socially to become responsible members of the larger community.
PURPOSE
-
Provide an alternative
program for middle and high school students whose conduct prevents them
from succeeding in their regular school.
-
Provide an environment
that is conducive to improving the behavior and attendance of students
admitted to ML King Academy and assist them in experiencing academic
success.
-
Provide a highly
structured program that balances behavior modification with high academic
standards.
KEYS TO
SUCCESS
-
Low student to teacher
ratio
-
Strong support from the
counselors & social workers
-
Qualified &
dedicated staff
-
High academic goals
that are individualized for students
-
Positive reinforcement
of students
-
A consistent discipline
system
-
A curriculum that is
aligned with Kentucky's core content and program of studies
-
A curriculum that is
aligned to the same high standards as the regular curriculum
-
A focus for students
that includes social skills, life skills, and self-discipline
-
The use of Thematic
units
PROGRAM
STRENGTHS
-
Classroom and computer
based instruction
-
High quality, engaging,
and supportive instruction
-
A structured approach
to discipline and behavior management
-
Clearly identified
student outcomes
-
Family, community, and
agency involvement
-
Quality professional
development
-
Continuous assessment
of the program and students
-
District level support
DISCIPLINE
-
Clear and consistent
rules posted in the classrooms
-
Predictable, consistent
consequences
-
Direct teaching of
rules with practice
-
Multiple levels of
support for demonstrating the correct behavior
-
Consistent, corrective
feedback for behavior infractions
REFERRAL
Schools may refer
students to the ML King Academy through school teams (Student Assistance
Teams, Admissions Release Committee) made up of principals, counseling staff,
teachers, and others. School teams are held accountable to present measurable
data and evidence of intervention strategies applied over a period of time.
Schools must demonstrate substantial efforts to help the student be successful
in the regular school setting. With exceptional cases (extreme violence or
drug involvement) a "fast track" referral can be requested. This
improvement referral process, initiated for the 2001-2002 school year, has had
the following results:
-
Referrals to ML King
Academy were more appropriate
-
Greater efforts on the
part of regular schools to succeed with students through appropriate
interventions
-
A more objective
referral process with clearly established guidelines
SUMMARY
The alternative program
at ML King Academy is an essential feature of the mission of the school
district. Students find success in the smaller supportive setting. Students
success is demonstrated through academic achievements, attitude, self-esteem,
and self discipline. This success requires a higher level of support and the
availability of a greater array of resources than the school of residence is
able to provide.
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