School Improvements at Sparta High (FICTIONAL)

Sparta High School is now in effect to start a unilateral change under the No Child Left Behind program presented by the Untied States president, Barack Obama on January 8, 2002. Dr. Jon Jones was hired to direct school improvement. "We believe we can increase education at Sparta High School," says Jones. Many changes will be made to increase ACT and WKCE scores required for all students at the High School.

"We need to see improvement by 25 percent for the ACT scores," says Jones. "These scores have been lowering for the past three years. These changes can wait no longer."  To make sure this will happen all teachers currently employed by Sparta High School will be replaced by certified teachers from all over the nation that will be assigned by the United States Department of Education and paid for by the government. The current staff will be paid throughout the rest of their contract year. However, as of June 30 they will no longer be employed by Sparta High School.

The government will also be paying for any other additional expenses needed to make these changes. "Cost is not a factor." says Jones. Not only will the teachers be replaced, so will any co-curricular activities.

On February 1 all after school activities, including sports, will be suspended. In addition, work permits will not be provided. School will begin its usual time at 7:45 am but will continue until approximately 5 pm with no open campus for students. "We will be focusing on math, reading, and science, for these are the subjects the students mainly lack in," says Jones. The school periods will be longer and focusing more on the main subjects.

To insure the students enrollment in school with these new improvements, five additional police officers will be placed in the school. They will make sure parents are bringing their kids to school and that employers are not allowing students to be working when school is still going on into the late evening. "Any employers giving the students hours will be fined heavily," says Jones. In addition to the longer school days, the year will be longer as well.

"The High School will end their school year on July 1. If there is progress school will redeem on September 1 as usual. If there isn't any improvement in our student's learning, school will resume ten days later on July 11," says Jones. All these changes are to insure the best possible education for our Sparta High School students.

"Students are our future," says Jones. "We want the best education for them. This is a big change for this area and state. However, it is necessary."