POUGHKEEPSIE – The Poughkeepsie City School District Curriculum Office has been awarded a five-year $745,035 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support small learning environments in large high schools. 

"This grant will help create a smaller, more personalized learning environment for students in Poughkeepsie," said Congressman Maurice Hinchey.  "As classrooms grow, it is important that we find ways to ensure that every student is provided with the tools and resources necessary to achieve academic success.  I appreciate the Department of Education's support of Poughkeepsie's public schools and will continue to work to ensure future federal assistance."  

Poughkeepsie High School will use the funds to implement the America's Choice reform model program which offers comprehensive teaching systems that are designed to help students who fall two or more years behind grade level. 

Teachers plan to use the literacy and algebra curriculum program for freshman and will also support the students by tutoring during and after school hours.  Upperclassmen students who continue to struggle will have the opportunity participate in a Saturday Credit Recovery Program.  They also plan to employ a part-time parent or community outreach coordinator to encourage greater parental and community participation in the school. 

"One of the goals of the Board of Education is to reduce the dropout rate," said School Board President Raymond Duncan.  "We believe that creating Small Learning Communities will be a major way to achieve this goal."

The grant comes from the Department of Education's Smaller Learning Communities Grant Program which is designed to encourage large high schools to undertake research-based strategies in developing and implementing smaller learning environments.