Friday, May 9
Lawrence Business Magazine LLC
Lawrence Business Magazine LLC
2015 Second Quarter - Education & Futures

Why Local: Diploma-Completion Program

By on 61 Comments
WHY LOCAL: DIPLOMA-COMPLETION PROGRAM RINGS BELL FOR DRIVEN ADULTS
| 2015 Q2 | story by MARK FAGAN    |
Atwood

Jacob Atwood

Each spring in Lawrence, hundreds of students walk across a stage, shake the principals’ hand and leave their home stadium with tassels turned, diplomas in hand and traditional futures ahead.

But the relative handful who earn a special trip past Rick Henry’s desk inside a former elementary school oftentimes reach a more satisfying conclusion.

They ring a bell.

“What they say about success being a journey, not a destination, is true,” says Jacob Atwood, a 30-year-old restaurant server who completed his high school education this spring, earning him his opportunity to ring the wall-mounted bell at the Centennial Adult Education Center, 2145 La.

“This is an accomplishment that has built confidence in me. I’ll be able to take the next steps now…to finding the career I want to have someday.”

Atwood is among more than two dozen adults to graduate this year through the Lawrence Diploma Completion Program (LDCP), which offers online courses and in-person resources for people 18 and older. Students who finish the program receive a diploma through either Free State High School or Lawrence High School, depending on where the student lives. The Lawrence school district also has a program to help adults earn General Education Development (GED) credentials, which signify that a student has attained academic skills equal to those of those who have graduated from high school.

Both programs are available to adults who, for one reason or another, never managed to close their secondary careers with enough credits to fill a transcript. And in today’s competitive economy, the difference between having and not having earned a diploma mean more than finding the right job, or earning additional money over the course of a career.

Earning a diploma or a GED credential can mean the difference between employment and unemployment, or something even more significant.

“It pays off in a number of different ways,” Henry says, who is entering his third year as the district’s Director of Adult Education Services after 24 years as a teacher and secondary principal elsewhere in Kansas. “The financial payoff is what most people think of, but a lot of people don’t think about what that means. It means a better quality of life. It’s a better situation for their families. And it means earning something and gaining something that was, before now, out of reach. It’s the whole area of satisfaction, of self-image, of pride.”

Students walk through the center’s doors after following any number of paths. Some are a year or two out of high school. Many are in their 20s or 30s, sometimes encouraged by employers to finish their educational jobs and pick up additional skills. Others are of retirement age, looking to complete something left incomplete long ago.

But whatever has gotten in the way, Henry says, doesn’t have to hold anyone back.

“You know the saying, ‘When you come to the end of your rope, hang on?’ We’re the knot,” he says. “We’re the knot that people are hanging onto. They’re accomplishing things they never thought possible, and the things that people have been telling them their whole lives that they never would.”

Atwood, for one, attended two high schools in Topeka before dropping out his sophomore year. He’d been unable to make classes fit into his schedule as he worked full- and part-time jobs to help his family pay bills.

By 2006 he’d arrived at the Lawrence Adult Education Center, inside a former elementary school just south of Lawrence High School. He managed to pick up a single course credit before concluding that earning the full 23 credits he still needed for graduation would be too much to handle.

By January 2012, however, he was back. He took the program’s online courses, working on his laptop from home and stopping by the center for in-person instruction and, at times, accepting off-site encouragement and support.

“If I went a couple weeks without showing up, they’d call and check on me,” Atwood says. “The relationships with the teachers, and others who were invested in me, pushed me forward.”

The Lawrence Diploma Completion Program is tailored to meet the needs of such nontraditional students. The program:

• Offers a full range of core courses at ninth-, 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade levels. Courses span four core subject areas, such as math, language arts, science and social studies, and also branch into electives and other areas, including fine arts, physical education, foreign languages and health. Advanced-placement (AP) courses also are available.

• All courses are provided online, and students are expected to complete work at their own pace. Students may connect from off-site or stop by the center’s large classroom, which used to be the library, to use desktop PCs or a laptop. Teachers are available to provide assistance when needed.

• The center is closed in July but open to program students from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

While students in the GED program are required to take their courses on-site, students in the diploma-completion program only need to show up once per semester. That’s to take final exams.

And ring the bell.

“It’s really loud,” Henry says, with a proud smile. “And everyone in there claps. I get chills up and down my spine every time.”

The price is right, too. Students who enroll in August don’t pay tuition, Henry says. Those who wait until January pay a $50 administrative fee, although he’s willing to make arrangements for prospective diploma-completion students who might find that to be an insurmountable barrier.

“If someone wants to be in our program,” he says, “I’m going to figure out a way.”

Atwood knows the value. A server at Mad Greek, he wants to start taking classes at Johnson County Community College. He’s been planning a wedding.

Now he’s happy to be sharing his story with district officials and anyone else — especially fellow adults who, like him, simply needed a chance to finish what they’d started, no matter how long ago it had begun.

“I saw an 80-year-old man graduate,” he says. “If he can do it, and I can do it, anyone can do it.”

Share.

Related Posts

61 Comments

  8. how Popolo Music Group supports Filipino artists on

    One thing I would really like to say is the fact that before acquiring more computer system memory, consider the machine in to which it could be installed. Should the machine will be running Windows XP, for instance, the memory limit is 3.25GB. Setting up greater than this would easily constitute a new waste. Make certain that one’s mother board can handle the upgrade volume, as well. Great blog post.

  9. global music label Philippines on

    Thanks for your post. What I want to point out is that when you are evaluating a good internet electronics shop, look for a web page with complete information on critical indicators such as the security statement, safety details, payment options, as well as other terms in addition to policies. Always take time to look into the help in addition to FAQ sections to get a far better idea of the way the shop is effective, what they can perform for you, and the way you can maximize the features.

  11. hiếp dâm on

    Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Many thanks, However I am having issues with your RSS. I donít understand why I cannot join it. Is there anybody getting identical RSS problems? Anyone that knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanx!!

  16. địt mẹ m con chó lừa đảo on

    Undeniably believe that that you stated. Your favorite justification seemed to be at the web the simplest thing to have in mind of. I say to you, I certainly get annoyed whilst folks think about concerns that they plainly don’t recognize about. You managed to hit the nail upon the highest as neatly as outlined out the whole thing with no need side-effects , people could take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thank you

  17. sex trẻ em on

    Normally I do not learn post on blogs, however I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to take a look at and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thanks, very nice article.

  20. Phim người lớn on

    A motivating discussion is worth comment. I think that you should publish more on this subject, it may not be a taboo subject but typically people do not discuss such issues. To the next! Best wishes!!

  23. địt mẹ m con chó lừa đảo on

    I was curious if you ever thought of changing the structure of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or 2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?

  28. Jun88 on

    Hello.This post was really remarkable, particularly because I was investigating for thoughts on this issue last week.

  31. địt mẹ m con chó lừa đảo on

    Hey there! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I truly enjoy reading your articles. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that go over the same subjects? Thank you so much!

  32. WW88 on

    I like the helpful info you provide to your articles.I will bookmark your blog and test once more here frequently.I am moderately sure I’ll be told many new stuff right right here!Good luck for the next!

  35. địt mẹ m con chó lừa đảo on

    I would like to add when you do not already have got an insurance policy or maybe you do not belong to any group insurance, you may well make use of seeking the assistance of a health broker. Self-employed or those with medical conditions commonly seek the help of a health insurance brokerage service. Thanks for your blog post.

  36. business on

    Everything is very open with a really clear clarification of the issues. It was definitely informative. Your website is extremely helpful. Thanks for sharing.

  37. địt mẹ m con chó lừa đảo on

    This is without a doubt one of the finest articles I’ve read on this topic! The author’s thorough knowledge and passion for the subject shine through in every paragraph. I’m so grateful for stumbling upon this piece as it has deepened my knowledge and sparked my curiosity even further. Thank you, author, for dedicating the time to produce such a remarkable article!

  38. WW88 on

    Aw, this was a very nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to generate a superb articleÖ but what can I sayÖ I procrastinate a whole lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.

  39. WW88 on

    Hi there, of course this paragraph is really pleasantand I have learned lot of things from it on the topic of blogging.thanks.My blog post … kebe.top

  43. 78win on

    I enjoy, result in I discovered just what I used to be having a look for.You’ve ended my 4 day long hunt! God Bless you man.Have a nice day. Bye

  50. địt mẹ m con chó lừa đảo on

    Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!

  52. địt mẹ m con chó lừa đảo on

    I like the valuable information you provide to your articles. I will bookmark your weblog and test once more right here regularly. I’m somewhat certain I will learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!

  58. 开云体育 on

    It?¦s really a cool and helpful piece of information. I am satisfied that you shared this helpful information with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.

  59. AG 官网 on

    I ‘d mention that most of us people are endowed to exist in the fantastic area with very lots of fantastic people with incredibly practical factors.

  61. AG 官网 on

    Hi, I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it😉 I will come back once again since i have book-marked it.Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.

Leave A Reply