PVSchools renews career and graduation support at two high schools

By Stacy Mantle
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The Paradise Valley Unified School District governing board unanimously renewed its agreement with Jobs for Arizona's Graduates program on Aug. 20, continuing accredited offerings at Paradise Valley and Shadow Mountain high schools. 

The program serves students who may face academic, attendence, behavioral or personal barriers to graduation. It combines classroom instruction, work-based learning, career exploration and individualized follow-up intended to improve attendane, grades and graduation rates, as well as career readiness. 

"At its core, JAG is helping students stay connected to school, graduate on time and successfully transition to postsecondary life," Assistant Superintendent Chris Asmussen told the board.

Jobs for Arizona's Graduates will contribute $45,000 toward two program specialist positions and pay student travel and registration costs for national leadership conferences. PVSchools will cover the remaining $126,488 in salary and benefit costs through its maintenance-and-operations budget and classroom site funds. The district will also provide classroom space, instructional materials and technology.

Paradise Valley High School has offered JAG since 2005. The program there is associated with Haunted Paradise, a student-led fall festival designed to build employment skills through hands-on project-based learning.

Shadow Mountain's program is entering its third year. Asmussen said students from the school recently placed second in the business plan category at a national competition.

The agreement sets performance goals that include advancing 90% of participating students to the next grade, helping 70% improve attendance or miss fewer than 18 days, maintaining or improving grade-point averages for 90%, reducing discipline referrals by 60% and reducing at least one identified barrier for 90% of participants.

Board member Sandra Christensen called JAG "one of the premier programs" in the district and said it prepares students not only to advance to the next grade but "to be competent adults that are out in the workforce."

The board approved Resolution 611 without opposition.

Editor’s note:   A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Stacy Mantle
Education Solutions Reporter

smantle@iniusa.org

Meet Stacy
Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.

Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.

Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!

Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.

Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.