Painting a More Vibrant Picture

If we could paint a picture of a typical student who enters our OHB School for the first time, it would most often look something like this: The student most likely has a history of behavioral issues and defies authority figures. He has excessive absences from school and lacks the motivation and confidence to succeed in the classroom. He is significantly deficient in school credits and has no hope for graduation. Unfortunately, it’s a rather bleak picture.

When students have had so many academic struggles in the past, how do they come to thrive at the OHB School? Many factors play into students’ success once they’re at our OHB School, one of which is our small class size. The OHB School is comprised of three classrooms: one for working on unit workbooks, one for online instruction, and one for study hall. The maximum class size is eight students and they are guided by both teachers and academic and behavioral specialists.

“I think one of the things that is most beneficial to our students is that our small class sizes allow for a lot of one-on-one instruction,” said Kevin Modrell, Lead Teacher at the OHB School. “Such individualized instruction isn’t something that’s possible very often in a public school setting and it really seems to help our students begin to grow academically.”

Another factor that helps students at the OHB School succeed is the focus on credit recovery. Credit recovery means that a student who previously failed a course can take a test to verify their knowledge and they can essentially pick up where they left off, rather than starting the course from scratch. “Credit recovery allows our students to begin earning credits more quickly than having to take an entire course that they’ve already partially completed elsewhere,” said Justin Loehr, Senior Director of Campus Life Services at OHB. “The sooner we can get students earning credits, the sooner their confidence is boosted and the sooner they buy into our program. When they start building those credits, their entire mindset towards school changes. It’s really exciting to see that transformation.”

One other significant factor that shapes the success of students at the OHB School is simply the fact that they’re in attendance every day. While skipping school is commonplace for youth before they enter our program, it’s not acceptable once enrolled at OHB. All staff stress the importance of education and take a team approach to hold students accountable for their attendance.

“Of course, students can refuse to come to school all together but this is rare,” said Justin. “Attendance is typically 100% participation. It truly takes a village to help students meet our high standards for attendance and we have a great village of people helping them inside and outside the classroom.”

If we could paint a new picture of this same student who once faced so many academic hardships, what would that picture look like upon graduation from the OHB School? This same student has earned enough credits to meet grade level expectations and is on pace to graduate with his class. He is equipped with the study skills needed to succeed in a public school setting, has access to application materials for our OHB Scholarship, and has even begun to explore a career path. And most importantly, this student is confident in the classroom and values his education.

Doesn’t that sound like a more vibrant picture?

Thanks for helping our students grow!

Thanks to your thoughtful support, students’ dreams of graduating high school become a reality at the OHB School. Here’s what you helped students at our school accomplish in 2020 through your generosity:

• Students at the OHB School completed courses with an 82% average grade
• 100% of clients demonstrated a higher commitment to learning
• 95% of clients maintained or improved their education outcomes
• 203 recovery credits were earned by students at the OHB School