Gazette opinion: Mentoring to prevent dropping out

In a year where school levies were once again rejected by voters and state funding continues to be uncertain, Billings West and Senior high schools are to be commended for launching innovative peer mentoring programs.

Last year at West High alone, 24 percent of high school freshmen were failing at least one class during each six-week grading period; moreover, 40 percent of students sent to the truancy center were freshmen.

With more than 600 incoming freshmen, West High administrators wanted to implement a process that would not only ease the transition into high school, but also strategically help new students be successful.

Last spring, administrators met with the Student Council and other school leadership groups to talk about what could be done. The goal was to go well beyond a one-day welcome and create a process for integrating success into the freshman experience.

Using feedback from these meetings and a small grant, Chuck Swarm, smaller learning communities coordinator, kicked off the peer mentoring program.

Full Opinion: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/10/17/build/opinion/45-gaz-opin.inc