Written by Brett Munden, Assistant Principal – PHS West
Portage High School is proud to announce its partnership with ArcelorMittal in launching the “SUCCESS” program. Portage High School is committed to addressing the academic, social, and behavioral needs of its diverse student population. The “Ninth and Tenth Grade Looping Program,” currently in its second year of implementation , was developed and deployed in an effort to better prepare a targeted PHS student population to pass the End of Course Assessments for Algebra 1 and English 10, both of which are requirements to earn a high school diploma in the state of Indiana. Early results of just one year of implementation have been promising and PHS is continuing to move forward with momentum in year two. A big part in continuing to move forward is adding “character education” to an already academically potent program, making Ninth and Tenth Grade Looping students’ high school experience a “SUCCESS.”
Beginning in 2011, ArcelorMittal will play a crucial role in the success of Portage High School students. During the summer of 2010, ArcelorMittal extended an invitation to Portage High School to apply for a grant of up $10,000.00 to utilize toward “character education.” Portage High School's “Success” program, which was under development at that time, aligned perfectly with ArcelorMittal’s giving guidelines because it was designed specifically to address the social and behavioral needs of PHS students, providing them with more resources and support to be successful in their high school endeavors. As a result, Portage High School's application was accepted and a grant from ArcelorMittal for the full $10,000.00 was extended to PHS in February of 2011.
Through this partnership between ArcelorMittal and Portage High School, PHS students in the SUCCESS program will be taught, counseled, and mentored in the Portage High School 5 Critical Values: Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, and Compassion. They will also benefit from monthly “team building” exercises, facilitated by Mr. Dan Massa and Mr. Larry Tharp, of Challenge Education. These team building exercises will teach students to embrace each other’s differences and utilize each other’s strengths in collaboration toward common goals. Finally, a select group of students will receive peer mentoring on a regular basis from upperclassmen who have proven to be successful individuals and positive role models in all areas of life, including but not limited to high school. The affective support that our students will receive will make Portage High School a safer, more compassionate, and more culturally sensitive environment.
Some of the goals and expected outcomes of the SUCCESS program at Portage High School are as follows: the social and emotional needs of PHS students will be better served, improved grades and more credits earned for the ninth and tenth grade at risk student population, improved acceptance of diverse student populations, improved relationships between teachers and students, fewer incidences of behavior / discipline problems, an increase in the number of at risk students who pass the End of Course Assessments in Algebra 1 and English 10, and to provide students with more support to successfully graduate from Portage High School in 4 years.
Portage High is extremely excited to partner with ArcelorMittal on this worthwhile endeavor and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their commitment and support toward the “SUCCESS” of Portage High School students.