The Woodland High School Positive Academic Support System team consists of, from left to right, Catherine Pulliam, Keitra Curnutt, Cyndy Grayson, Mary Ann Sturdivan, Dana Preston and Stacy Gould.
Woodland High School’s Positive Academic Support System (PASS) connects struggling first-year high school students with staff members to help guide them to a successful freshman year.
The PASS program was introduced in 2017 as a way to help ninth-graders who were at risk of failing one or more of their classes.
“Research shows students who fail one or more classes in their first year of high school are significantly more likely to drop out before graduating,” Woodland High School Principal John Shoup said in a news release. “Our PASS program helps students who need a little extra support getting used to the high school experience.”
Shoup and Dan Uhlenkott, assistant vice principal at Woodland High School, enlisted several staff members to become part of the PASS program as a way to help students. The program provides students with the support they need as early as possible in their high school careers. “Initially, we selected three staff members, Dana Preston, Cyndy Grayson and Mary Ann Sturdivan, because of their love for students and, well, their parenting skills,” Uhlenkott said in the release. “Many PASS students actually refer to their PASS mentors as ‘school moms’ who ensure the students have the push they need during each school day.”
PASS founding member Mary Ann Sturdivan said Shoup thought that she would be a good “school mom” because four of her children have graduated from Woodland High School.
“I took that to mean keeping track of students, becoming a liaison with staff, motivating and nagging whenever necessary; I’m already an ‘expert nag’ getting our seniors to meet their graduation requirements,” she said.
Students in the PASS program may need additional support in school for many different reasons.
“Often, poor performance in school is a symptom of other issues occurring in a student’s life,” Uhlenkott said, adding that the PASS program teaches discipline, curriculum, attendance and more. “(It’s) pretty much every aspect of high school.”
In order to financially support the program, Shoup and PASS Program Coordinator Stacy Gould applied for and received a grant from InvestEd. InvestEd provided $5,000 to the program for the past two years. The funds help pay for snacks for the students as well as other program supplies.
Team members in the PASS program provide students with homework help, encouragement and training to be self-sufficient. The team also provides a food pantry where students can eat a quick meal or snack throughout the school day. Along with this, team members connect students to school counselors and the Woodland School District’s Family Community Resource Center.
“We help students connect with the right people and services so they don’t fall through the cracks,” Gould said. “Essentially, we are the go-to resource to help guide them in the right direction.”
Along with working with the students, PASS staff members communicate with families of struggling students and let them know where the students might need additional support. PASS also provides students with a campus connection to help them become more familiar with the high school life.
“High school can be a tough and scary place if you feel alone and lost,” Gould said. “With this program in place, we’re able to connect with students to offer academic support as well as be an adult who takes the time to listen to them.”
The PASS program has provided positive results for students.
Madison “Madi” Gosser became a PASS student last year in ninth grade and sees the program as “instrumental” to her 3.2 grade point average.
“Having the support system from the entire team turned me around,” she said. “During my freshman year, I was more interested in the social aspects of high school, but once I got into PASS, they helped me focus on academics.”
The PASS team taught Madi the importance of asking for help and reassured her that teachers truly care about the success of their students.
“I felt like the teachers would judge me if I asked for help and think I was stupid for not understanding the lessons,” she said. “Now, I know the teachers are here to answer any questions we might have so I have no problem asking for help when I need it.”
The connections formed between students and their “school moms” run deeper than high school.
“Even after I graduate, I have every intent to keep texting and keeping in contact with the PASS team,” said Madi. “They aren’t just the people who got me through high school — they’ve been my support group for everything.”
