Building success
Program to help students "spring forward" by learning building trades
By Donna C. Gregory NEWS EDITOR

Lisa Billings/Chesterfield Observer Jim Hoover is heading up a new building trades program for struggling ninth-graders.

As an eighth-grader, Derrick Brunner* was somebody. Maybe he didn't make the best grades, but all of his classmates knew and respected him. He had plenty of friends and many who wanted to be his friend. The girls liked him, too. But then, the school year was over.

When Derrick showed up for his first day of high school, his status had changed. There's nothing cool about being a freshman. Derrick was back at the bottom of the pile, just trying to stay out of the way of the juniors and seniors who were much bigger (and seemingly meaner), having already finished their growth spurt.

As his social prominence slid, so did his grades. By Christmas break, Derrick was failing five of his classes. It looked like he was destined to be a freshman two years in a row.

Last year, 4 percent of the county's freshmen, some 199 students, faced the same situation as Derrick. But the county school system is starting a new program to help students like Derrick "spring forward" to 10th grade.

The Spring Forward Program will begin as a pilot at the Chesterfield Technical Center during the spring semester for ninth-graders who failed five or more classes in the fall semester. Students will have the chance to earn four credits by the end of the year. "If they pass those four subjects, the county will pick up the cost of summer school to pick up the fifth credit so they can start as a 10th grader next year," explained Jim Hoover, coordinator of the Spring Forward Program. Hoover is coming out of retirement to head up the program. He served as principal at Matoaca High School prior to retiring in 2005.

An overview of building trades will provide one credit, while classes in English, world history and health/physical education will round out the curriculum. A special lab will be built at the technical center for the building trades component, which will introduce students to carpentry, electrical, plumbing, drywall, masonry and other construction-related skills.

"What we hope is that the students will gravitate toward one of the 10 skills that will be taught," explained Hoover. Theoretically, students could then transition into one of the technical center's building trades programs as a junior or senior. Ultimately, graduates would help fill a demand for skilled workers in the construction industry. "There's a great need in the community to have folks going into those trades," explained Hoover.

The program will initially serve between 20-40 students from Meadowbrook, L.C. Bird, Thomas Dale and Manchester high schools. Guidance counselors are currently identifying students who may qualify for the program. "These schools represent four of the five high schools with the largest number of students in the target population last year," said Dr. Ed Pruden, assistant superintendent for instructional administration, while explaining the program to school board members during a meeting earlier this month.

Spring Forward provides "a fresh start for freshmen," he said. "It allows a freshman who did not have a positive academic beginning to his or her high school career the opportunity to 're-start' at the second semester."

Students will attend all classes at the technical center from 1:30-6 p.m. with transportation provided by the school system. The program will cost "under $100,000," indicated Pruden.

"Every high school has a group of youngsters who has a difficult time transitioning to high school," said Hoover. "A lot of times it is attendance issues, sometimes it's behavioral. If there are some behavioral issues, a lot of times that stems from not being successful. I don't see this as a catchall for bad kids. They are just overwhelmed. They weren't quite ready to be in high school yet."

Spring Forward is expected to begin when the new semester starts in January.

*Derrick Brunner is a composite of the type of student who will participate in the Spring Forward Program. He is not a real person.