Federal Hocking Local School District has received national attention because of an article in Reader's Digest that highlights schools throughout the nation with innovative programs.
Some of the programs that earned Federal Hocking High School recognition were blocked school days that require students to take only four classes a day, a senior project and portfolio, freshman academy programs to prepare new students for high school, internship opportunities and a strong advisory system that requires children to meet with their counselors three times daily, said assistant principal John Wryst.
Federal Hocking High School has not received any money from the state for these programs since 1994, when it was granted venture capital money of $20,000 over a four-year period, said principal George Wood.
The high school has been resourceful in finding funds because of a lack of state support, said superintendent James R. Patsey.
Wood, who frequently travels to promote innovative school programming, is paid with grant money from KnowledgeWorks Foundation, a program funded by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates' philanthropic foundation. Because Wood's salary is funded externally, Federal Hocking pays for a vice principal to manage daily school affairs.
However, Federal Hocking High School has not received any money from the foundation specifically for programming, Wryst said.
The senior project requires students to pick a topic that interests them and devote at least 100 hours outside of the classroom to planning and completing the task, Wryst said.
The projects have ranged in format from community service to building a kayak, he said.
The senior project has been an asset to the school because it shows colleges and future employers that the students can commit time to completing a task beyond just memorizing information, Wryst said.
Students must fund their projects. That can be difficult for some families, he said
Federal Hocking students are interning at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, the Division of Wildlife, veterinarian's offices and several other places throughout the city for high school credit, Wood said.
The freshman academy is a program that helps new students adjust to high school by focusing on study skills and time management, Wryst said.
Schools are the hardest institutions to change because you have to get over the hump of tradition
Wryst said.
The biggest challenge to making the program changes was convincing teachers, parents and students that the programs were worth the time, money and effort, Wryst said.
The programs have been effective because teachers are connecting with students in advising situations and this provides a support system for the children, Wryst said.
Some have said that Federal Hocking School District is inferior because we have lower proficiency test grades but that is just not so Patsey said, I hope that the Reader's Digest article will help the PR of our little school in Appalachia.
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Jessie Balmert
