Harrison High showcases Freshman Academy, peer mediation and student journalism as part of improvement push

Harrison High School leaders told the Harrison School District No. 2 Board on a November evening that a mix of targeted testing, teacher-led interventions and student-driven programs has the school "close to improvement." Principal Keith Vargas framed the presentation as "owning our ugly," saying the schools recent performance score was a wake-up call that prompted district walkthroughs and intensive follow-up.

Administrators and teachers outlined specific short-term goals tied to standardized measures. Assistant principal Molly McCann said the school was "1.3 points away from that improvement" on the district performance framework and identified concrete targets: two additional points overall from PSAT 9/10 ELA within close reach, about eight points needed on CMAS science for juniors, and smaller gaps on SAT ELA and math within particular student subgroups. McCann described teacher work to disaggregate mock-exam data by skill and difficulty so instruction can be tailored to the weakest competencies.

The presentation highlighted the Freshman Academy, a bridge program intended to ease the transition from middle to high school. School leaders said freshman attendance has risen from about 80% three years ago to 91% this year and that the share of freshmen "on track" (defined as having zero or one F) rose from about 45% to 65%. Vargas and staff credited partnerships (including a district data dashboard and work with outside partners) and parent engagement events that provided live mock-exam data to families.

Students described how they have taken ownership of communicating needs and progress. Marcus Hughes told the board how the journalism class interviewed administrators and shared findings with the student body; Logan Malthall said the student-led coverage helped rally peers and draw attention to school priorities. Aaliyah Martinez and other students described the peer mediation programs role in building relationships: the dean of restorative practices reported restorative conferences grew from about 30 in 2019 to 77 so far this year and that students now lead connection circles with staff and community groups.

Board members praised the combination of student voice and structured interventions and invited presenters for a photo. The meeting moved on after the board placed the showcase items on the consent agenda for formal approval.

The board did not take a separate vote on the contents of the showcase; the presentation was entered into the record and will be available for follow-up questions at future work sessions.