District Administration - August 2009 - (Page 39)

To meet this need, the first recovery high schools opened 20 years ago. Ten years later there were only about a half dozen. But the trend is accelerating. Today, Andrew Finch, co-founder and former executive director of the Association of Recovery Schools, says he knows of about 35 public recovery high schools in the country, each serving students who are addicted to substances ranging from alcohol to marijuana to crack. There are also a handful of similar private schools as well. “Most of these schools start from grassroots advocacy efforts, often by parents or teachers who see a need,” Finch says. The big exception is in Massachusetts, where three years ago the state provided nonprofits with funds to launch three recovery high schools, each of which offers enrollment to multiple districts (as do most recovery high schools). “We do a year-round schedule with a mandated summer program to keep them connected to the school,” says Michelle Lipinski, the principal of Northshore Recovery High School in Beverly, one of the three Massachusetts schools. With fewer than 50 students, Northshore is, like Sobriety High, a small school. In researching 18 recovery high schools nationwide, Finch found that the average student body was about 30 students, with some schools having as few as seven to 10 students. “They have to go the extra mile to ensure alcohol and drug use is out of the school. It has to be part of the culture,” he says. “When everybody knows everybody else, then the students can police themselves to a degree.” School culture is important at a recovery high school in part because the student population tends to be more fluid than at a traditional high school. New students arrive throughout the year as they graduate from a treatment program. “Students are coming and going—we have an open enrollment,” says Mark Leufkens, the coordinator and lead teacher at Summit High School in Santa Barbara, Calif. Like most recovery schools, students must make a commitment to attend Summit High: They must answer a questionwww.DistrictAdministration.com naire, interview at the school, and sign a contract promising to be honest and to work toward continued sobriety. Some students decide to stay and receive their degree from the school; others eventually want to return to a traditional high school. school because they’ve starting using drugs or alcohol again. Working with adolescents struggling with addiction is not conducive to unbreakable rules, though, and Finch says that most recovery high schools are more about support “This is a happy place, but I also have to say sometimes, ‘I’m fresh out of magic wands. I can’t make you sober.’” —Jodi Hanson, recovery director, West Academy campus, Sobriety High School than punishment. If a student is unable to remain sober, he or she may have to leave the school, but relapse is not typically grounds for dismissal, and even students who have fallen back into addiction are gladly welcomed back after they have finished another round of substance abuse treatment. “For some people, a relapse is part of If They Start Using Again Some students leave 4.75x4.75:CEHS FastTrack 4.75x4.75 11/17/08 most PM a recovery high the journey of recovery, and for 2:29 CEHS FastTrack08 “We like them to stay for at least a semester,” Leufkens says. “Sometimes our professional recommendation is that they’re not really ready to go back yet, but at the same time, we’re based on choice. Our therapist really works with students to know themselves and what’s best for them.” Page 1 A FAST TRACK TO A TRADITIONAL ED.D. Seton Hall University’s nationally recognized, accelerated doctoral program will allow you to complete your studies in just 10 weekends and two, four-week sessions over two years. In fact, more than 200 K-12 administrators in 26 states and five foreign countries have already successfully earned their degrees and achieved career advancement. “Starting this program from Canada and finishing from Singapore was possible only because of Seton Hall’s deep commitment to its students. The culture of positive thinking prevails to make possible what sometimes seems impossible.” Glenn Odland, Ed.D. ’08 Head of School Canadian International School, Singapore Now accepting applications for the April 2010 cohort. Loans are available to cover the entire cost of the program regardless of financial need. 400 South Orange Ave. • South Orange, NJ 07079 • www.shu.edu College of Education and Human Services 1-800-313-9833 For more information e-mail execedd@shu.edu or go to www.shu.edu/go/execedd August 2009 39 http://www.shu.edu http://www.shu.edu http://www.shu.edu/go/execedd http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - August 2009

District Administration - August 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Standards & Assessment
Stimulus Monitor
Admin Profile
District Profile
Tell It to the Mayor
Fighting Fraud in Schools
Recovery High Schools
Keeping the Community in the Know
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Problem Solution
Tech Disruptions
New Products
Product Focus
Professional Opinion

District Administration - August 2009