Exec. Council approves contract for school mentor program in Keene, 3 other areas

Jul. 13—HOOKSETT — The N.H. Executive Council authorized a $936,000 contract on Tuesday for a vendor to provide a program in Keene, Manchester, Groveton and Berlin to help students who are disengaged, chronically absent or academically at risk.

School superintendents in these areas said they could use this help, which will come via a contract with Salt Lake City-based Graduation Alliance Inc., N.H. Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut told the council at a meeting in the Hooksett Public Library.

He said students get into trouble when they become isolated from their peer groups.

"This is a program that helps to identify students who are struggling in that instructional environment, and they won't get isolated, they will be mentored," he said.

After the meeting, Edelblut elaborated.

Through the Engage Attendance Recovery Program, high school and middle school students identified via a risk assessment will be assigned a mentor, who will check in with them by phone call or text on a regular basis.

"They would call them and say, 'Hey, how's it going? Did you do your homework? Are you making sure you're showing up for school? Are you all prepared?' " Edelblut said.

"It's just a little bit of just mentoring around that student to make sure they can have success, the goal being to get them to graduation — keep them engaged, keep them from getting isolated."

Studies show a good support network can increase a student's success in a learning environment, and mentorship could be one facet of that network, and can also reduce absenteeism, he said.

"We're just trying to make sure all students feel supported," Edelblut said.

Following the funding approval Tuesday, N.H. School Administrative Unit 29 Superintendent Robert Malay said Wednesday morning that it's too early to say exactly how the Keene School District will roll out this program, but added that he views it as a positive addition to local schools.

"It's got a lot of value, I would say, to provide those supports, someone that a young person can engage with, can confide in," Malay said. "Sometimes students have a hard time connecting with an adult, so if this can fill that void with students, I believe it would help them stay on track and move toward that goal of high school graduation in a safe, positive, productive way."

Malay added that SAU 29 will share more details on the program once the Keene district has a chance to develop a plan for implementing it.

School officials, educators and parents across New Hampshire have expressed concern about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on student absenteeism, truancy and academic performance.

New Hampshire's School Safety Data Collection report, which is compiled by the state with information provided by school districts, showed 28,774 students habitually truant statewide in the 2020-21 school year, or 17 percent, compared to 11 percent the previous year. Habitually truant is defined as having an unexcused absence of at least half a day on 10 or more occasions.

Numbers from the 2021-22 school year are not yet available.

At Keene High, the report showed 639 students were habitually truant in 2020-21, or 47 percent. Sixteen students fell into this category in the 2019-20 school year, or 1 percent. (This past March, Brian Campbell, assistant superintendent at SAU 29, questioned whether some of the unexcused absences arose from students logging in late during remote instruction.)

Several other high schools in New Hampshire also reported high numbers of habitually truant students last year, including 667 out of 1,363 students at Manchester Memorial High School.

A number of behavioral issues were reported at Keene High this past year, including fighting, vandalism and disrespectfulness. The problems led to protests and a community meeting.

"Robb [Malay, superintendent of SAU 29] has tried to work on a lot of different programming and as you know he's been working through some issues in his community with some students and families and stuff, so it made sense for me to reach out to him to get his perspective on this program," Edelblut said.

He and officials in the three other districts covered by the contract all expressed an interest in the program. Money for the contract, which extends through the 2024 fiscal year, will come from federal COVID-19 relief funds under the American Rescue Plan.

Edelblut said the size of the Keene School District also makes it a good candidate for the program.

Keene High is the largest high school in southwestern New Hampshire with an enrollment of about 1,400 students from Chesterfield, Harrisville, Keene, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Stoddard, Sullivan, Surry, Westmoreland and Winchester.

Assessment tests showed 33 percent of students at the high school were proficient in math in 2021, compared to 41 percent in 2019. District-wide, 26 percent were proficient, compared to 42 percent two years ago. Statewide, 38 percent were proficient, down from 48 percent two years earlier.

Rick Green can be reached at rgreen@keenesentinel.com or 603-355-8567.