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Next Step, Rooted and branches programs report participation gains and higher credit attainment for reengaged students
Summary
Philip Johnson, Longley School director, briefed the school committee on the district’s Next Step High, Rooted and branches/Owl reengagement programs, reporting increased participation and higher credit attainment for students after enrollment.
Philip Johnson, Longley School director, briefed the school committee on three district programs that serve students who need alternative pathways or reengagement: Next Step High, Rooted, and the branches/Owl efforts at the middle school.
Johnson said Next Step High served roughly 76 upper‑grade students and reported a six‑class average graduation rate of 83 percent for that program. "If you compare their average number of credits they're earning per year to the number that they're earning per year after a year of, or more of Next Step, it's a growth of 4," Johnson said, describing a rise from about two credits per year to more than six credits per year for students after participation.
Rooted (Restoring Our Opportunities Through Education) and the branches/Owl work at the middle school focus on reengagement and social‑emotional supports to return students to school and recover credits. Johnson said Rooted has served 29 active students this year and has returned 22 students back to school since the program began; branches and Owl have expanded scale at the middle school with dozens of daily visits for mentoring, SEL and academic skill‑building.
Why it matters: The programs aim to reduce dropout risk and provide credit recovery, academic support and mentoring for students with complex needs. Johnson said summer partnerships and credit‑recovery offerings produced tangible results: 63 youth participated in summer programming and earned 83 credits across Next Step, Lewiston High School and Rooted, with six seniors reaching August graduation because of summer work.
Challenges: Johnson and committee members said attendance remains the major constraint; many reengaged students face housing, transportation and health barriers. Johnson told the committee that more in‑school time and sustained instructional exposure would be necessary to achieve larger gains and that staff capacity limits how much additional time the district can provide.
Committee follow‑up: Administrators said they will continue to track program outcomes (credit attainment and graduation) and will present further data on scale, attendance and cost as part of follow‑up budget and program updates.
