The Arkansas City Public Schools after-school program will focus on reading, writing and math, and recently approved state law allows the district to require attendance. Sept. 12, the board of education approved after-school acceleration programming.

Dr. Voss said up to 600 students in grades 1-12 may attend the after-school program (ASP), with classes beginning Monday, Oct. 10. Classes will not be in session during parent-teacher conference week Oct. 17-21, and will resume Monday, Oct. 24. ASP will then follow the district calendar.

Grades 1-5 will attend classes from 3:15-5:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Middle school students will attend from 3:15-4:45 p.m., Monday through Thursday; and high school students will attend from 3:15-4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday. The staggered dismissal times will assist with transportation routing.

Group learning will create acceleration of academics with maximum group size of 15. Certified teachers will offer best practice teacher’s strategies, and aides are available to assist. A homework component will be incorporated into ASP, and math and reading instruction will be offered through NCS Learn and small group instruction.

Parents may voluntarily enroll their children in the program. Teachers may also recommend students based on grades and test scores. Students may enroll in ASP throughout the year.

Recently approved Kansas state law allows districts to require students to attend after-school programming. The district will enroll students who need extra assistance closing their achievement gap, and placement is made on grades and assessment data. Attendance for any student enrolled in the ASP is required once enrolled, and truancy may be filed if students do not attend as required by Kansas state law.

Dr. Voss said best practice strategies will be used to keep students excited and engaged with their learning.

“The after-school program isn’t about a ‘program,’ it’s about using instructional strategies that work. Our teachers have demonstrated their passion for helping all students learn and are demonstrating they know what supports students’ success,” she said. “This is about learning, not teaching. Data is going to drive what we plan to do.”

Dr. Voss said assessment data will be provided for the ASP coordinators throughout the school year so students’ progress is monitored in both the regular and extended day classrooms.

The sole community partner for ASP is the Denton Art Center, which will integrate art into the core curriculum.

A snack will be served, and transportation will be provided. Point of pickup bussing will be offered for students in grades 1-5; students in grades 6-12 will be transported home.

Attendance sites for elementary students are Roosevelt and Adams Elementary Schools. IXL and C-4 students will attend Roosevelt, and Jefferson and Frances Willard students will go to Adams.

Joy Hunter, four-year-old preschool teacher at Adams, will be the coordinator at Adams; and Luann Hoskins, academic coach at Roosevelt, will coordinate the program at Roosevelt. Cheryl Carter, assistant principal at ACMS, will coordinate the middle school’s program; and the high school program will be coordinated by Tara Taylor, assistant high school principal.