Lewis Central highlights early gains from ACE alternative education program

Lewis Central Community School District staff reported progress on a new alternative education program at a February board meeting, saying the program has helped students earn credits toward graduation.

The district presented interim results for ACE (Alternative Center for Education), which began in November and operates out of space at the middle school. District staff said 12 students were enrolled in the pilot and the group has earned a total of 44 course credits since the program began. The program uses Edgenuity, an online curriculum the district has used since the COVID-19 pandemic, with supervised, on-site testing and daily goal-setting.

District staff said most students attend roughly three hours a day and that the program’s design emphasizes a workplace-like schedule: students who are late or absent must make up the time to preserve academic progress. Julie McComas, identified by the district as the ACE lead teacher and program coordinator, said the program pairs individualized online lessons with staff supervision and weekly parent progress reports.

"Every minute matters," McComas said, describing the program's emphasis on attendance and steady work. She said tests must be taken on campus under staff supervision, phones are collected during testing, and students must meet existing course thresholds to advance. McComas also said students must reach the district's standard test score (70 percent on tests referenced in the presentation) to pass modules.

Assistant principal Jamie Justesen and teacher Dean Leaders were listed as program staff supporting instruction and student transitions. Board members asked about vocational course access and capacity. Staff said students who are in good credit standing could be allowed to take a single in-person vocational course at the high school while remaining enrolled in ACE, but more-restricted or credit-deficient students would likely remain in ACE until they catch up.

Program staff said the site and schedule have been structured to reduce distractions. The ACE space has a separate entrance, dedicated restroom and gym access, and a small teacher-to-student ratio; McComas said the program currently serves 12 students and could expand by adding afternoon seats, potentially accommodating roughly 5 more students in the afternoon session. Staff said they are meeting this week with two additional candidates.

District leaders emphasized that the ACE program does not change graduation requirements. "We are not reducing any sort of graduation requirements," a district official said; staff reiterated students must meet the district's 55-credit graduation requirement and that a fifth-year senior option exists but does not count toward four‑year graduation-rate calculations.

Program staff described student incentives (a public "credits" scoreboard, celebrations such as potlucks when cohorts reach milestones, and short recreational breaks) and regular parent communication: weekly progress notes and end-of-trimester reports. McComas said the program is not expected to graduate every participant immediately but aims to increase on-time graduation by returning students to credit-earning pathways.

Board members and other district staff praised the early results. One board member called the credit gains "impressive in less than a full trimester." Staff said they will continue to monitor progress, expand hours or seats if demand and outcomes support it, and coordinate with summer-school options when needed.

The ACE presentation occupied a portion of the meeting's agenda and included time for board questions and public comment; board members did not record formal action on the program during this meeting.