Mr. Stephen Mumaw • SOS Facilitator
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What is Graduation Enhancement?
This program is funded by the Dropout Prevention Act of 1986. The main objective is to keep students on-track for graduation and prevent them from dropping out of school.
In Pasco County there are many programs under the Graduation Enhancement Program. At WCHS, our Graduation Enhancement teachers support students and work to prevent drop-outs through credit recovery and individualized academic counseling.
SSAP – Student Support and Assistance Program:
Believing that all children can learn and that environments conducive to learning can stimulate student success. This program focuses on academic, social, emotional and physical needs of each individual “at-risk” student. For whatever reason, students may become Off Track and At Risk during their school careers. It is the job of the Graduation Enhancement/SSAP teacher to serve as a case manager who develops an Action Plan for each student and monitors his/her attendance and academic progress until graduation. The SSAP teacher will provide academic advisory services, special pull-out programs and communication between home and school.
Credit Recovery Program:
This program was developed as a Tier III intervention to enable more students to meet the requirements for a standard high school diploma and graduate with their cohort class, while addressing students classified as “Off-Track” due to the following barriers:
• Credit Deficiencies
• Absenteeism
• Not experiencing academic success in the traditional school setting
• Low grade point average (G.P.A)
• Sophomore, Junior and Senior students
At WCHS, APEX courses delivered in computer-assisted-instruction laboratory setting are utilized during academic class periods, and count toward Elective credits. Online curriculum will include course work in all subject areas to prepare students to demonstrate mastery of Florida student performance standards in any given course. The Graduation Enhancement teachers supervise the APEX program.
Procedures:
Referral process for enrolled high school students:
Administrators, guidance counselors, career specialist, social workers and/or Graduation
Enhancement Teachers will refer students to the Graduation Enhancement Coach.
Parent conference/contact (in-person, by phone, or by mail) must occur prior to the referral to
the Graduation Enhancement Coach. The parent section of the Dropout Intervention Referral
Form must be completed by school-based staff.
Student conference/contact (in-person, by phone, or by mail) must occur prior to the referral to
the Graduation Enhancement Coach.
Referral process for high school dropouts:
The high school career specialist, in conjunction with dropout tracking personnel, completes
the Dropout Intervention Referral Form on every student coded as a dropout prior to referral to
the Graduation Enhancement Coach.
The Graduation Enhancement Coach submits the appropriate copy of the Dropout Intervention
Referral Form to the Assistant Principal for Adult Education and the Adult Education Counselor.
Referral process for Adult Education entrants:
The Graduation Enhancement Coach provides follow-up on all high school students coded as
Adult Education entrants to verify their attendance in Adult Education.
This verification/results are recorded on the Graduation Enhancement Intervention Referral
Form.
Graduation Enhancement Coaches are assigned to work through the Adult Education Centers to develop and implement procedures to retrieve high school/adult education dropouts.
