RISE director credits new facility, partnerships for enrollment and graduation gains

The RISE alternative-education program director told the board the program has nearly doubled participation since he took over, is at its highest enrollment and is producing stronger outcomes for high-need students.

The presenter (RISE director) said RISE serves "high need, nontraditional students," and reported current enrollment of about 60–62 students with 77 total students served this year. He said attendance at RISE rose from roughly 38–42% historically to about 60% in the current year and credited a closer, upgraded facility and stronger partnerships for some of that improvement. "Since I did this presentation, I finalized it a few days ago. We've added 2 kids and a a third's coming. So, we are now at our max that we've ever been at since I've started," he said.

The director described two partnerships: Metro Community College credential opportunities (micro-courses and short-term credentials) and a mentoring/advocacy program 'D2' that provides youth academic navigators and elective credit aligned to resume and job skills. He said 15 students are expected to graduate from RISE this year (an all-time high for the program) and that extended-cohort graduation rates improved compared with four-year cohorts (class of 2022: +5.9 percentage points in extended graduation rate; class of 2023: +4.7 points).

Board members asked about services for young parents, remote attendance tracking (Edgenuity login requirements of two hours), supports for English learners and special-education students, and daily in-person capacity (morning sessions are fuller than afternoons). The director said staffing is currently one para and a special-education teacher in the morning, remote attendance is tracked via Edgenuity logins, and the half-day model depends on students doing work outside class time. "When they come, you can build connections," he said; "we want kids to have that hope, to see that vision, to see the future."

Why it matters: The presentation shows an alternative-education pathway producing measurable gains for students who had previously fallen behind, but the director warned the program is wearing many hats (behavioral supports, credit recovery, attendance, EL supports) and may need additional staffing if improved attendance persists.

Next steps: The district will monitor capacity and consider staffing/resource questions as attendance improves; board members encouraged exploring remote-instruction staffing models and additional community partnerships.