Across Texas, and the United States, there are “alternative schools” available to students.
These can come in the form of charter schools, magnet schools, at-risk programs, special needs day schools, independent private schools, and even boarding schools. So what exactly is an alternative school and what does it do to help students?
An alternative school is defined as an educational setting designed to accommodate the educational, behavioral, and/or medical needs of children and adolescents that cannot be adequately addressed in a traditional school environment. The most common programs alternative schools house are Credit Recovery and a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP).
Victoria ISD houses both programs at its Liberty Academy campus.
Credit Recovery programs are geared towards students who are struggling in their traditional educational setting and are behind in credits for graduation. VISD’s Liberty Academy Credit Recovery program specifically focuses on providing 3rd, 4th, and 5th-year students a second chance. Liberty Academy provides a different path and a different setting for students, so they can reach their goals. Each student enrolled has a different educational plan catered to what they need. This can depend on the number of credits needed and End-of-Course (EOC) exams needed to pass.
DAEP’s serve as an alternative educational setting for students removed from their usual campus or instructional setting due to disciplinary reasons. Since the Texas Safe Schools Act was adopted in 1995, all Texas public schools are required to provide this type of program.
Students who attend Liberty have typically experienced gaps in learning, behavioral challenges, and attendance issues. Many times, this is at no fault to the students but is merely a cause of the environment they’re in. As the district has mentioned many times, we feel there are no lesser paths, but different paths to a successful launch. Teachers and staff at Liberty work to provide an environment conducive to students improving their attendance, learning and passing their classes in order to graduate and reach their goals.
After a tough 2020-21 school year for students nationwide due to COVID-19, the 2021-22 school year began with its own set of challenges. Just weeks before students were scheduled to return to campuses, Stroman Middle School’s building A was condemned due to unsafe environmental conditions. This resulted in Stroman students being relocated to Liberty campus. As a domino effect was seemingly occurring, Liberty Academy’s Credit Recovery students had to relocate to the Dr. Robert Jaklich Conference Center.
Across the district, many were unsure if it would be able to work and provide students with the necessary environment for success. However, before students (and staff) were able to get settled in at the conference center, an unexpected opportunity arose.
Victoria College (VC), an already superior partner to VISD, reached out its hands to provide support for Liberty Academy’s Credit Recovery students.
In September, VISD and VC partnered to provide a college prep program opportunity for Liberty Academy Credit Recovery students. Through an application format, sophomore, junior, and senior credit recovery students applied for acceptance to attend credit recovery classes on the VC campus and have access to industry-based certifications.
The inaugural year for Liberty Academy at Victoria College (LA@VC) kicked off on Monday,
Oct. 18, 2021, with full enrollment in six classroom sections of 20 students each.
But that’s not all!
In addition to providing classroom space on their campus, VC has provided supplemental support, including access to free tutoring for credit recovery classes and assistance throughout the college application and FAFSA application process. The college has also provided counseling support to help students meet their goals and determine what degrees or certification options available at VC are most appealing to them.
This unwavering support has led to the most recent achievement by Liberty Academy’s Credit Recovery students. As of Dec. 16, 2021, approximately 99% of LA@VC students have completed applications and been accepted to college at VC.
Now, students who were once trying to merely catch up on credits and EOC tests will be taking their first college class come Spring 2022. This opportunity provides a gateway for students to seamlessly transition into VC as full-time students once they receive their high school diplomas.
This partnership is just another chapter in the saga of VC and VISD helping students excel. The future is bright for VISD, VC and Liberty Academy, and we can’t wait to see what else unfolds.
Jake Salcines is the executive director of Secondary Student Learning and Talent Development.