Superintendent Dan Foster said, “We are excited about the opportunity of reaching some of our students who may have been falling through the cracks and are thrilled the IDOE has recognized this effort making us eligible for assistance in funding the program.”

The Indiana Department of Education’s Alternative Education program is designed to meet the needs of at-risk students who are not succeeding in the traditional classroom setting. Students are provided with a variety of options that can lead to graduation and are supported by services essential to success.

While each of Indiana’s alternative education programs is unique, they share the following characteristics identified in the research as common to successful alternative schools:

• Maximum teacher/student ratio of 1:15;
• Small student base;
• Clearly stated mission and discipline code;
• Caring faculty with continual staff development;
• School staff having high expectations for student achievement;
• Learning program specific to the student's expectations and learning style;
• Flexible school schedule with community involvement and support; and
• Total commitment to have each student be a success.

The Warrior Academy is a program that gives students the freedom to work at their own pace to complete their coursework.  At present, the program is used for credit recovery, but now that additional funding will be available, the school may consider the possibility of expanding the program to allow students to take classes that don’t fit into their regular schedule or courses the school doesn’t currently offer.

Students learn with online courses and must pass with an 80 percent score or higher before they can move forward. Coursework may be finished at home, but testing must be completed at school.

Warrior Academy is taught by Karen Butler. The class has a current enrollment of 16 students, mostly sophomores.

Foster and Butler compiled the documentation required by the IDOE for state approval. The IDOE’s Johns thanked them for their time during her school visit, for answering her questions and for providing her will all the documents she needed to make the Warrior Academy file complete, adding “your binder rocks the house!”