Focus of forum: How to help students in Pawtucket, CF succeed

In Pawtucket, the graduation rate is 72.2 percent, while the rate in Central Falls is 65.1 percent. There is much work being done to try to close the gap with the state’s 83.7 percent rate, but much more to do, said those present.

HEZ representatives said they’re exploring ways to get more involved in this important cause.

Carmen Ruiz, director of progressive pathways at Central Falls High School, said there are obstacles for students in urban schools that others take for granted, including taking care of younger siblings, working to support their families, and language and cultural barriers for students who only recently moved to the U.S. and lack a family support system. Housing instability and homelessness also play a role.

“There’s a lot of trauma there,” she said.

In Central Falls, Ruiz said, the current lack of a community center also hurts. Vicki Domingues, dean of student engagement and community partnerships, said when students don’t have somewhere constructive to go, they often go to the wrong places.

Among the solutions implemented are an extended day program for students and biomedical, engineering, and computer science pathways programs, said Ruiz.

Attendance teams at the school identify the problems behind why students aren’t in school and figure out how they can help, she said. Barriers to attendance can include everything from a lack of school supplies to a lack of access to be able to wash clothes.

Lamel Moore, community connections and partnership liaison for Pawtucket schools, shared about what staffers are doing there, including eight of them getting certified in mental health first aid. Barriers tend to snowball, said Moore.

Those at Monday’s forum split into three groups to contemplate existing barriers and offer solutions, many of which are already implemented in some way.

One group suggested, among other things, financial literacy courses, community spaces for youth, training programs, influential speakers, more exciting engagement, and better social media engagement to meet students where they’re at.

Another group emphasized mental health supports, partnerships between schools and community organizations, dealing with truancy on a one-to-one basis, examining basic needs of students, and implementing incentives for good attendance.

A third group discussed extracurricular activities, job shadowing/internships, and guest speakers based on students’ particular interests. While strengthening family engagement is ideal, said the group, it’s vitally important to inspire students on why high school is important, and engaging them early in a potential career of interest can do just that.

Student representatives Iman Kizekai and Layla Rosario, both of Pawtucket, attend The Met School, and said they liked the ideas of the third group especially related to getting students to learn independence through their particular interests. Kizekai said how she’s been doing an internship with the New England Aquarium where she has to travel on her own to it. Other schools should take more lessons from The Met, they said, an institution that’s all about students sharing the evidence of what they’ve learned while exercising independence and responsibility.

Central Falls High School Principal Robert McCarthy said schools need to embrace that every situation is different. Staffers are working very hard, he said, but this effort takes a lot of work, with plenty of one-on-one mentoring and personalization.

Ruiz said that so much of the key to success is engaging with families in a true partnership on why graduating is important. For many, they didn’t graduate themselves and don’t see the significance, while others see it as important, but don’t necessarily know how to support students, and they just leave it up to schools.