By Bob Peryea
Correspondent
Big Foot High School is using a computer program to monitor potentially at-risk freshmen and helping them get back on track.
Principal Mike Hinske told the School Board Monday night about the preliminary results from the computer program which was given to the district at no charge by the Better High Schools Organization.
The program, called Early Warning System, tracks attendance, suspensions, and failing grades to look for students who are showing patterns of being at risk of falling behind.
When a student shows up as “at risk,” the administration and teachers are able to immediately assign interventions to prevent too much time loss.
“We are just learning to use the software, but already we are seeing that it has been able to help catch students before things go too far,” Hinske said. “It was a particular focus to have it in place for the freshmen, but it monitors every student in the school. So far, it’s great.”
Hinske also discussed the on-going changes due to the state’s designation as a Title 1 school. Title 1 designation is part of the state’s status, granted by the U.S. Department of Education, allowing Wisconsin to work outside of the “No Child Left Behind” provisions.
Three sub-groups specified in the state’s Title 1 focus program, English Language Learners, economically disadvantaged youths and special education students, receive a great deal of the focus.
Teachers and administrators receive additional trainings and guidance under the Title 1 Program with the intention of improving education and graduation rates.
Hinske told the Board that the new computer program was proving very helpful with these groups particularly.
The High School will be hosting a skilled trades career panel on Oct. 29.
Open to students in grades seven through 12, the panel will explore careers such as automotive/diesel, fashion design and construction. The event is free. Students should speak to their guidance counselors or contact Big Foot High School. This event is open to students from any neighboring schools as well.
In other Board news, Recreation District Director Chuck Theisenhusen, told the Board that his department increased attendance in its programs and significantly increased its revenues.
“Attendance was 4,775 people, up 6 percent over last year. Revenues were up 26 percent and profits were up 44 percent,” Theisenhusen reported. He did note that profit percentages were deceiving as the starting amount was very small.
Nonetheless, the Board congratulated him on a successful year.
Theisenhusen also told the Board that he received his Certified Parks and Recreation Professional certification.
He later told the Board about a project that he is researching involving using tubes and roof lenses to bring natural light into the gyms, allowing the school to keep the gym lights off all day.
The product, known as Solatube, uses a specially-designed lens on the roof to capture light and sends it through a reflective tube to a diffuser.
“The very tentative cost estimate is $30,000 for the gyms, with a payoff time of six years,” Theisenhusen said. “But that is not much more than a guess. I will be looking at the actual electricity usage and will have a much better estimate of the costs and savings then.”
Eventually, the school would like to utilize this technology throughout the building provided the cost savings is sufficient.
In other business, District Administrator Dorothy Kauffman put in her formal request for medical leave. Her leave will begin in late November and is expected to last until sometime in January.
The Board also gave its blessing for cooperative teams in boy’s soccer and girls’ tennis. Big Foot students will be playing on the same team as Williams Bay students, as they have in years past. The teams will need to be authorized by the conference and the state, but Hinske expects that this will not be an issue.
“Cooperative teams give all of the students a chance to participate in a sport that each school might not be able to do on its own,” Hinske said. “I also like that it builds a bridge between the communities.”
Any costs incurred are paid by the guest school, in this case, Williams Bay. Big Foot has a similar relationship with Badger High School’s swim team, allowing Big Foot students to compete on a state level.
At the meeting, the Board also approved six Youth Options applications, clearing the way for students to attend college classes during their high school year.
“It is for students who are ready for levels of study that we don’t offer at the high school level,” Hinske explained.
The high school pays tuition and supplies, but the students are responsible for their own transportation to the college.
