Right Reason Technologies is a Huge Success as Pocono Mountain School District’s Homebound Provider
Pocono Mountain School District (PMSD) utilizes Right Reason Technologies’ CyberExtensionâ„¢ online, web-based system for their Homebound Program. The Transitions Program, as it is called, is in its fourth year and it has been a great success for both the district and the students. Loree Guthrie, Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Services, states, “The program continues to grow and improve every year, keeping abreast of the most recent technology and eLearning trends.” This includes mapping their curriculum to the Academic Teaching Standards required by the state. Let’s take a closer look at the Pocono Mountain program…
RRT’s Program Design
Students in this homebound program are required to attend 5 hours of school per week at a computer lab after regular school hours. They are also required to do their work from home, if necessary, to complete assignments. Students can take academic, applied, or honors courses. During the after school hours, instruction and assistance is available from all of the subject area teachers. The program follows the academic teaching standards that the state requires and is also consistent with Pocono Mountain School District’s Curriculum. The program can be adapted to fit any school district’s needs.
RRT’s Program Benefits
Pregnant teens can benefit from RRT’s CyberExtensionâ„¢ program. The program’s design can easily be utilized for teen moms so they can spend time nurturing their babies while working toward their High School Diploma. Students can log in anytime and work from home as well as from the classroom.Â
School Phobics have the advantage of working in a smaller, less overwhelming setting. They need to come in on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and this allows them to still learn to function in a social setting, yet giving them the opportunity to feel less threatened. They can also access their work at any time online from home. As a transitional program, this helps the child readjust to the school setting, and hopefully to reenter the school as a traditional student.
Students that suffer from anxiety or medical problems can also benefit from the program. We have had students who have had medical issues, such as asthma and physical ailments that have inhibited them in the regular school setting. RRT’s program worked out well for them. They were able to maintain their work while they were incapacitated and when they healed, they returned to regular school without being behind.
RRT offers credit recovery to students that are short credits in order to graduate. RRT has had students that have taken one or more courses in order to complete their credits to graduate.
RRT’s Program Success Stories
Lauryn Boorstein and Alex Hicks – Two Pocono Mountain School District June 2008 Graduates of the CyberExtensionâ„¢ program.
PMSD will see their first set of students graduate from PMSD using RRT’s homebound e-Learning program. If not for RRT’s program, these students would have no opportunity to complete their High School Diploma. They have completed all four of their high school years using CyberExtensionâ„¢. They are on track and are expected to graduate in June 2008.
Our first student is Lauryn Boorstein and she is grateful for having the opportunity to complete her education using RRT’s online program. She began the program in 9th grade. She had a very hard time in the traditional school setting. RRT’s solution fit in with her needs and helped her to excel academically in all areas. Lauryn states that she “loves learning in a small, one-on-one setting.” She has been on distinguished honor roll throughout her four years in the program. Lauryn has taken the four major subjects each year as well as several electives. After graduation, she plans on attending East Stroudsburg
University and work towards becoming a speech pathologist. She hopes to work with the special education population after finishing college.
Our second student is Alex Hicks and she is also thankful for RRT’s program. She began the program as a 9th grader as well. The traditional school setting wasn’t working for her. She tells her friends and family that “this program has been the best experience of my life.” She is proud of her academic accomplishments in PMSD’s homebound program. She had the opportunity to take her classes online and complete her degree.  She too has taken the four major subjects as well as several electives. She made distinguished honor roll throughout her four years in the program. After graduation she plans on going to college to become an Elementary Education Teacher. She has already begun a program at Northampton Community College.  Right Reason Technologies and Pocono Mountain School District are proud of these two students for excelling in this homebound online program. The program has succeeded in taking two students that may not have completed high school and turned their lives around. These are only two students among many that attend RRT’s homebound program that have these opportunities.
Looking to the future, RRT will continue this online web-based homebound program at Pocono Mountain School District. RRT, along with PMSD, will continue to support these students and help them to excel academically, to grow in self-confidence and to become superior citizens in the community.