The 3R Program was created by teachers at Hannah Penn Middle School to help struggling students who were retained in grades 7 and 8. The program focuses on retaining important academic and life skills, allowing students to refocus without peer pressures, and rewarding efforts and successes. In the first two years, the program saw significant improvements in attendance, discipline, test scores, and grade promotions compared to prior years. The program faces ongoing challenges with scheduling, enrollment fluctuations, and ensuring promotions meet district standards.

1. 3R Program Retain, Refocus, and Reward Background Teachers thinking outside the box and who were willing to take a risk, came up with a program because the Hannah Penn Middle School being categorized as a failing school (Corrective Action II, NCLB).

2. 3R Program Retain, Refocus, and Reward Background This program was designed to help those students who have been retained in middle-school grades 7 and 8 and are not already receiving other services. Sixth graders are evaluated for intervention on a case-by-case basis.

3. 3R Program Retain, Refocus, and Reward Retain This has a dual meaning reflecting a student who has been RETAINED as well as helping students learn and RETAIN important life and academic skills.

4. 3R Program Retain, Refocus, and Reward Refocus Students are among peers that are all in a similar situation. This lets everyone leave difficulties behind and REFOCUS on the skills and strategies that will lead to success .

5. 3R Program Retain, Refocus, and Reward Reward As students succeed academically, their education becomes their over arcing REWARD. REWARDS are also used to show appreciation for effort, academic and social successes. Such REWARDS range from notes and calls home, to selecting items from a “prize bin”, to hard-to-achieve REWARDS like modest shopping sprees and video games. These REWARDS are provided by the teachers and recommended by students.

6. 3R Program Retain, Refocus, and Reward Needs 3R focuses on the academic, social, behavioral, and emotional needs of the students. *Academic Needs *Social/Emotional Needs *Behavioral Needs

7. 3R Program Retain, Refocus, and Reward Successes Year 1 • Reduced disciplinary referral 90% • Increased attendance from previous year • Three accelerated promotions to ninth grade • 100% promoted to next grade at end of year • Higher PSSA scores from previous years

8. 3R Program Retain, Refocus, and Reward Successes Year 2 • Reciprocal Acceleration implemented • Volunteer for summer school • 80% of those advanced to ninth grade have been successful • Promoted three students to ninth grade who did not attend summer school • 1320 Community Service Hours completed • Students scored higher on 4-Sight assessments than their previous years

9. 3R Program Retain, Refocus, and Reward Challenges Scheduling Enrollment Promotions District Wide