SEELEY LAKE – Attendance and grades at Seeley-Swan High School (SSHS) have shown significant improvement at the one-year anniversary of the four- day school week with the half day of enhancement on Fridays. SSHS Principal Dr. Kathleen Pecora is pleased with the data as was the Missoula County Public School (MCPS) Board of Trustees at their Oct. 11 meeting.
At one of the parents’ meetings to discuss the 4+ day school week in the spring of 2015, teacher Mary Stone said, “Our goal is still two-fold: to increase attendance and provide additional intervention time [Friday half-day to work with students who have not completed their work or need more instruction to understand the material]. One-on-one intervention is the best thing for students.”
At the MCPS School Board meeting, it was clear that these goals are being met. Dr. Pecora reported attendance was 86.53 percent for the 2014-2015 school year. In the fall of 2015 attendance was up to 92.8 percent climbing to 95 percent in the spring 2016. This fall attendance is up to 97.46 percent.
“We are rapidly moving up there,” said Dr. Pecora.
In regards to grades, Pecora said there was a 4.5 percent failure rate in the fall of 2014 school year out of the total classes taken. That dropped to 2.7 percent in the fall of 2015 after the implementation of the 4+ day school week. This year, the failure rate is 0.23 percent.
“These are really good numbers,” said Dr. Pecora.
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