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Chaney students can earn college credit for dance
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Students in Chaney High School’s Visual and Performing Arts program will be able to earn college credit for dance classes beginning in the fall.
It’s part of an expansion of Youngstown State University’s College in High School, which allows students to earn college credit at the same time they’re earning credit for the high-school class.
Bryan DePoy, dean of YSU’s College of Creative Arts and Communication, told city school-board members at a meeting Tuesday that he expects the program to begin this fall and then to expand to offer college credit for communication, arts and music courses in the future.
“This is just the beginning of great things to come for Chaney School,” DePoy said.
In other business, Jimma McWilson, co-director of the Campaign for African American Achievement Collaborative, said his groups will begin the process March 1 to educate parents of city school students about other options for educating their children if, by Feb. 28, the school board doesn’t take action to address the academic, social and career aspirations and needs of the majority of city schoolchildren.
Those options include home schooling, open enrollment, vouchers, forming charter schools and developing partnerships with existing charter schools. McWilson said he’s prepared to meet with sponsors of elementary/middle schools operating in the city about partnership to develop a high school.
Richard Atkinson, board president, said after the meeting that the board is willing to work with any group that wants to help in improving academics.
“We work very well with as many groups as we can,” he said.
The school district is following the academic-recovery plan developed by the Youngstown City Schools Academic Distress Commission and approved by the state superintendent of public instruction which outlines a path to improvement, the board president said.
The school board also welcomed two student board members for the 2013-14 year.
Sarina Chatman, who represents the Chaney Campus, maintains a 3.9 grade-point average and is her class president. She is a senior in Chaney’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program and is involved with Sojourn to the Past, Warriors Inc. and Key Club.
Jordan Johnson, Youngstown Early College’s representative, is also a senior and maintains a 3.5 GPA. She is president of National Honor Society, works as a peer tutor and serves on the school’s prom committee, yearbook and art club.