The progress reports from this past fall are in and this report is definitely going on the refrigerator!
Of the 134 classes that were taken last semester, our guys passed 131 of them. When we first heard the news, we were beyond excited. The 98% pass rate is the highest academic performance of any other semester in Goshen Valley’s history.
Another exciting record-breaking number from last semester was the number of boys involved in athletics and extracurricular activities at their schools. Three young men played on the Cherokee’s Varsity football team and two other young men were part of the Junior Warriors team. We had two young men enrolled in Karate classes and three others that joined the wrestling team. Another one of our guys joined the Lacrosse team and had a terrific season!
What’s the reason behind last semester’s success? After taking the time to celebrate the success with the guys, we took some time as a staff to identify the factors that might have contributed to such a great semester.
Here are a few of the factors that made a tremendous difference last year:
- An incredible partnership with the Cherokee County School District. We have spent a lot of time improving the partnership and communication with the CCSD. In the end, we believe this made a tremendous difference in both the individual lives and overall success of our guys. Because of the fantastic partnership, we saw an overall improvement in behavior at school and fewer in-school-suspensions or alternative school occurrences.
- Cultivating a “culture of achievement.” We wanted the boys to believe that excelling in school wasn’t just possible; it was inevitable if they worked hard and committed to excellence. It started with the extensive summer academy program and continued throughout the year. The tutoring center and incentive program paid huge dividends throughout the semester. Our houseparents and staff went above and beyond to set the tone and provide support.
- Increasing academic progress through life skills. We believed that making positive investments in every area of life would make a huge difference in the classroom. The fact our best academic report and highest involvement in athletics and extracurricular activities both occurred during the same semester isn’t a coincidence.
We’re so proud of the success our young men experienced last semester. Not only was it a great way to end the year, it was another building block in their lives that helps increase the confidence and belief in their future.
We believe that the sky is the limit if we continue to cultivate these key factors and we’re working hard to continue the trend of 100% retention rate from graduation to independent living.