Senior Summer Academy at Flint Northwestern - ABC 12 – WJRT – Flint, MI

(08/22/12) - As school districts across the state struggle with deep cuts and declining enrolment, they're also trying to find new ways to improve student achievement.

Flint Community Schools recently lost several teachers, but that hasn't stopped one program from moving forward. Wednesday, a small group of the 105 incoming seniors at Flint Northwestern attended the "Senior Summer Academy". It's not mandatory, but the students say they need to be there.

"I feel as senior class president, it is my duty to be here to support not only my class, but to pull my other class members in to want to come to school and want to be involved in the things we have planned for our senior year," said senior Deandrae Powell.

The Academy is aimed at improving graduation rates and college attendance. It's a yearly academy, but advisers revamped the program completely to help improve success. "This time, we're all coming together as a staff, trying to provide the same message, the same umbrella so we're all walking to same path," said program adviser Mary Stewart.

The seniors are coming in at a time the district is facing deep cuts and declining enrollment. In the wake of school closings, seventh through twelfth graders will be at Northwestern this year. Stewart believes that's even more incentive to strengthen the summer academy.

"I need these guys to be the role models for Seniors or this school basically since we're seventh through twelfth now."

Senior Alyiah Tipton agrees. "Being a senior, it's been said to us, we're the leaders of this building now and I just want to be an example for those who are coming after me."