Congratulations to the graduates at the WAY Watervliet program!
Each year in December, we have graduations across our campuses to give students an opportunity to graduate when they are ready instead of wait until the end of the school year.
News
WAY received an above average score in earning a recommendation for AdvancEd accreditation for another five years. A four-member review team from AdvancEd visited 5 WAY schools and interviewed 99 WAY students, staff, and parents in their week long visit.
WAY, which undergoes accreditation review every five years, received a score of 318.7 which was well above the average score of 278.94 for all school systems evaluated by AdvancED during the prior year, the AdvancEd exit report stated.
Here what AdvancEd said about WAY:
"The [AdvancEd] team found numerous aspects of best practices in the observed classroom. It was evident that teachers built strong relationship with their students and the lessons were truly student-centered."
"In the course of [AdvancEd] interviews with mentors, team leaders, experts, students, and parents, is clear that WAY staff knows students well and advocates for their learning and growth."
"During [AdvancEd] interviews, parents and other stakeholders shared that they have overwhelming pride in the school and that 'students are learning based on their own interest in such a wonderful, supportive setting.'"
"WAY has an outstanding teaching staff across the state of Michigan, in Georgia and in Brazil."
"[WAY] learning supports for students and families go 'above and beyond' to provide for foundational needs of students that result in readiness and ability to learn."
WAY is proud to partner with DRIVE One, a non-profit organization educating students in automotive technology, welding, machining, and other programs.
Together, WAY & DRIVE One opened WAY Academy East in 2017, a charter school offering students a High School diploma while learning skills in welding, machining, and automotive technology.
Our very own WAY Board President, James Bosco, published an article on the U.S. school dropout problem. Read the first section below,
The first school compulsory attendance law in the United States was enacted in Massachusetts in 1852. Other states soon followed, but it was not until the early 20th century that all states in the union had such a law. In the 19th and early 20th century the enforcement of compulsory school attendance laws by school or government officials was usually quite sketchy, but in those years, the student who dropped out of school had a reasonably good chance of finding a job, since there was high demand for semi-skilled and even unskilled laborers. The nature of the American workplace as it now exists puts the young person without a high school diploma who is seeking a job with an adequate wage in a precarious situation. Even a high school diploma may not be sufficient to put the young person on a good path with opportunity to move up the employment ladder. Additional education may be required, whether it is in a community college, a technical certification program, or a four year college.