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Pershing continuation and Pathway community day school highlight dual enrollment pilot and attendance challenges
Summary
Principal Jill Young reported rising graduation rates at Pershing continuation, persistent attendance concerns — chronic absenteeism up 17% — and a new on‑campus dual‑enrollment Counseling 53 class serving 15 students.
Principal Jill Young updated the board on Pershing Continuation, Pershing Opportunity and Pathway Community Day School on Feb. 25, focusing on graduation gains at the continuation program and continued attendance challenges across programs.
Young said Pershing’s graduation rate has increased year to year and that the school’s mission is to bring students who thought they could not graduate to the finish line. She reported attendance remains a major challenge, with chronically absent students the top concern; she said chronically absent rates have risen about 17% at Pathway and Pershing and described common reasons that students miss school, including mental‑health challenges and transportation.
To address engagement and post‑secondary exposure, Young described a new on‑campus dual‑enrollment class in partnership with Fresno City College: Counseling 53, taught at the Pershing campus with 15 students enrolled for the spring semester. She said the on‑campus approach differs from prior attempts where students took college classes offsite and completion rates were low; the district now provides the course on campus with support from a staff instructor and an adjunct teacher.
Young also described Project Stealth, a mentorship program that currently has 24 students on its caseload at Pershing; she said mentors and outreach staff provide in‑home supports and family engagement for students at risk of chronic absence. Young shared a student success story in which a previously disengaged student was assigned greenhouse manager responsibilities, later joined FFA and improved attendance and academic standing.
Trustees asked for additional detail about dual enrollment versus enrichment and about activities that help boost attendance; Young said athletics, field trips and campus activities correlate with higher attendance and said the school will continue targeted outreach to improve daily attendance.
