Teacher says RISE program raised EOC scores and cut suspensions at New Hanover High

A New Hanover High School teacher told the school board on Tuesday that the RISE (Relationships Inspire Student Empowerment) program has produced measurable academic and behavioral gains after its first year.

Taylor Henderson, a New Hanover High teacher who described the program as an intervention for students with intense academic and behavioral needs, said RISE students showed higher pass rates and fewer suspensions compared with the district’s previous model. "In the RISE program, on average, 87 percent of our students pass Math 1," Henderson said. She said 75 percent of RISE students passed English 1 and that days of suspension dropped from 153 to 78 after one year in the program.

Why it matters: The board heard data Henderson said came from comparisons of the previous intensive-behavior-support model and outcomes for RISE students. Henderson said the program serves students across four grade-level strands — school and organizational skills in ninth grade, career readiness in 10th, life skills in 11th, and mentorship in 12th — and that weekly community partnerships play a role in student engagement.

Key results described to the board included an average 6.4-point gain on Math I EOC scores for RISE students (with some students showing 25–35 points of growth), a reported 46 percent decrease in behavior incidents after year one, and continued gains in later cohorts. Henderson also said 52 students currently participate in RISE at New Hanover High School.

Henderson described the program’s staffing and structure: team teaching by two exceptional-children teachers, ECTAs, and a content teacher, smaller class sizes and embedded social-emotional and career-readiness activities. She said the program uses community partners for hands-on experiences and that students present real-world projects — for example, a recent project in which students presented design work to the architectural team working on New Hanover High.

Board members praised the results and invited further engagement. Several board members who attended a site visit last year described being impressed by student work and recommended additional board visits. Henderson invited board members and district leaders to spend a day with RISE students to see the model firsthand.

Speakers

- Taylor Henderson — Science and math teacher, New Hanover High School (presenter). - Board members who commented in support: Josie Barnhart; David Perry; Dr. Tim Merrick; Pete Wildebore (remarks recorded).

Clarifying details

- Enrollment: 52 students currently in the RISE program at New Hanover High (presenter’s figure). - Reported outcomes: Math I pass rate ~87% (RISE), prior model ~36% pass in Math 1; English I pass rate ~75% (RISE) vs ~46% prior; suspensions reduced from 153 total days to 78 in year one (presented by teacher); average math EOC growth 6.4 points with some students 25–35 points. - Program components: team teaching; EC teachers plus content teacher; weekly partnerships with community organizations named by presenter (e.g., UNCW men’s basketball, local fire department, aquarium, vocational rehab partners).

Community relevance

- Geography: New Hanover County; program at New Hanover High School. - Impact groups: students with intensive academic/behavior needs, exceptional-children (EC) students, school staff and community partners.

Provenance

- topicintro: {"block_id":"3371.60","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"Good evening, members of the school board. My name is Taylor Henderson, and I'm a science and math teacher at New Hanover High School... RISE, which stands for Relationships Inspire Student Empowerment, is an intervention program serving students with intense academic and behavior needs..."} - topfinish: {"block_id":"3841.06","local_start":0,"local_end":90,"evidence_excerpt":"In addition, I'd like to personally invite any district leaders and members of the board to come spend a day with us, hang out with the kids, and meet with me and the RISE team to learn more."}