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District highlights Mentor Me tutoring and CTE expansions as graduation improvement strategies
Summary
Dropout‑prevention staff described the Mentor Me tiering system used every nine weeks to identify at‑risk students and assign mentors. Presenters credited individualized mentoring and new CTE micro‑courses (fiber optics, welding, HVAC) with helping students return and stay on track.
The Richmond County Schools board heard a detailed presentation on dropout prevention and career‑technical education that tied mentoring work to rising graduation outcomes.
Arthur Gillum, who leads dropout‑prevention efforts, described a rubric used every nine weeks that scores students on attendance, grades, discipline referrals and tardies. Students receive a point total that places them in green (doing well), yellow (at risk of slipping), red (in danger) or black (imminent risk of dropping out). “I probably get fussed out a lot because I'm supposed to look at the number, but I believe if I focus on children, the number will go up,” Gillum said, summarizing the program’s relational emphasis.
Gillum explained that students identified in the red and black tiers are assigned a mentor from a pool that includes credit‑recovery teachers, behavior interventionists and social workers; mentors meet daily to set goals and maintain family communication. Two students — identified in the meeting as Cadavian Diggs and Quincy Bird — were presented as examples of how mentorship and school‑based supports enabled returns to Richmond Senior High and academic improvement. The presenter said mentoring includes monitoring, family outreach and connection to outside resources when needed.
Separately, CTE staff described short, industry‑aligned micro‑courses initiated in partnership with employers including Amazon (fiber‑optic splicing), and plans to expand HVAC, plumbing and Patterson labs to create hands‑on middle‑to‑high‑school pathways. Staff reported credential attainment metrics and noted the district is among five in the region with 70% or higher credential completion in CTE programs.
Administrators also previewed a new computer‑science graduation requirement for incoming ninth graders, offering four course options (including 3D modeling/animation and Adobe‑based courses) and plans to integrate resume building and career development planning through Major Clarity.
Board members praised staff and mentors and asked for continued detail on capacity and scalability for CTE programs; no formal board action was required during the presentations.
