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Easton Area School District to pilot 'RAD' credit-recovery program to curb dropouts
Summary
District leaders presented a pilot program called Rovers Achieving Diplomas (RAD) to provide a short-day, supported credit-recovery pathway for students at risk of dropping out. The board heard program design, staffing and eligibility criteria and approved a small-scale pilot.
Superintendent Gina Piazza and high school administrators presented a new pilot program, Rovers Achieving Diplomas (RAD), designed to help students who are credit-deficient or inconsistently attending school recover credits and return to the cohort with supports in place.
The RAD pilot will begin with a small cohort of eight to ten students and is voluntary: students and parents must sign an agreement to participate. Program hours are shortened (approximately 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.), blending online coursework with in-person support, daily counseling and social-emotional services. Staff will include a reallocated behavior specialist, a part-time special-education teacher, an on-site administrator and contracted/partner social-emotional supports. Transportation, breakfast and lunch will be provided, and the program is located in a classroom space on the Palmer side of the middle school.
District leaders said the RAD program is explicitly intended as an intervention, not a disciplinary placement. Students will be identified through regular school-based teams (assistant principals, counselors and CST) based on attendance inconsistency, credit deficiency or disengagement. The goal is recovery of credits and reintegration to the high school with continued supports rather than permanent relocation.
During the presentation Jack Geiger (presenting administrator) outlined the data prompting the pilot: recent declines and partial recovery in the district's four- and five-year graduation rates, a spike in retentions after COVID, and a 2022 rise in dropouts to 92 students before improving in 2023–24. Dr. Schultz (Special Education staff) described the program’s emphasis on ‘‘educational stability,’’ defining that as consistent attendance, student goal-setting and measurable credit recovery.
Operational details offered to the board include: - Pilot cohort: 8–10 students initially; more than 30 students had been identified for potential inclusion and will remain on a wait list. - Hours and structure: shortened day 8:30–12:00 with additional work expected outside the program; online curriculum with in-person adult supervision and academic coaching. - Credit focus: targeted credit recovery to address year-by-year benchmarks discussed in the presentation (district-cited annual credit benchmarks were described during the presentation). - Supports: individual and group counseling, BCBA social-emotional supports, nursing access, daily supervision, and transportation. - Location and rollout: faculty lounge on the old Palmer side of the middle school; staff and building administrators nominated students rather than the program being imposed from above.
Administrators emphasized reintegration: the RAD program is a temporary, supportive pathway intended to return students to the high school when they have regained sufficient credits and supports. Board members asked whether age or grade mattered; presenters reiterated eligibility is driven by credit deficiency and engagement, not age or automatic grade level. Presenters said the pilot will be monitored and adjusted as needed and that the district hopes to measure outcomes before recommending expansion or modification.
Superintendent Piazza framed the pilot as an ‘‘out‑of‑the‑box’’ intervention aimed at preventing dropout and noted the program could move to the high school in future years if space permitted and if outcomes supported the change. Officials said they will bring back results and recommended next steps after the pilot phase.
