Guilford County Schools Provide Options for Students with Varied Interests
Opportunity is about to come knocking for Guilford County students who are ready to dive into the world of work.
In fact‚ Opportunity High is the name of the school system’s newest campus‚ expected to open in fall 2005 on the grounds of Guilford Technical Community College. The high school was designed for students who have fallen behind in their high school education and may be in danger of dropping out‚ says Anne Murr‚ instructional improvement officer for Guilford County schools.
“Most of these students are not being successful where they are. They are simply disenchanted with traditional high schools and need something different‚” Murr says. “But they do have a strength – they have a job‚ and they’re good at it.”
Rather than watching such students cut their education short‚ the new school is aimed at keeping them in classes three days a week while they earn money and the satisfaction of succeeding on the job. If Opportunity High students don’t have a job‚ the school will help find one for them. And if a student is unhappy with their job‚ the school tries to steer them into a different career path.
“We will focus on helping them have a job that will give them career options‚” Murr says. “And it will give us a great opportunity to integrate the curriculum and instructional program with their career‚ in effect bringing their career into the classroom.”
The school will start with approximately 100 eighth and ninth graders‚ adding additional grades each year. Eventually‚ school officials expect to enroll about 45 students per grade in grades eight through 12. In their junior and senior years‚ students at Opportunity High will be allowed to take classes at the community college as well.
But there is more than Opportunity in the Guilford County system. In all‚ the system serves 67‚000 students at more than 100 sites‚ including 64 elementary schools‚ 20 middle schools‚ 14 regular high schools and 10 magnet high schools.
While each school provides a strong academic curriculum‚ the system’s magnet schools offer specialized instruction in areas such as communications‚ cultural arts‚ math and science‚ and foreign languages. Magnet schools also offer instruction using the Montessori method‚ says Doyle Craven‚ director of student assignment for Guilford County.
At Jones Elementary‚ students may enroll in one of the state’s only foreign-language immersion programs at the primary level. Elementary students at General Green are steeped in science and technology.
The magnet high school offerings include International Baccalaureate programs at High Point Central and Smith High‚ Weaver Academy for Performing and Visual Arts‚ and four other schools that allow students to begin their college education as they prepare to graduate from high school.
“Most of the magnet schools have an attendance zone‚ but students from outside those zones can apply to go to the school‚” Craven says. “It’s a random selection process.”
Students apply in the spring for fall-semester enrollment.
