Profiles in excellence: Katahdin High School

American Education, April, 1984 by Richard Elwell

There are still places in the United States where making a living is a hand-to-hand struggle with nature. The Maine woods is one of those places and Katahdin High School at Sherman Station is right in the middle, about 90 miles from the nearest university and a short hike from the nearest moose. Most of the families in Maine' School District No. 25, which centers on Katahdin High, earn their living the hard way--wrestling logs out of the woods to pulp or sawmills, raising potatoes, or milking cows. And for fun they hunt moose and bear, and go to school.

"Close contact with parents" is probably the effect of Katahdin High most often noted in the evaluations that led to its being selected by the U.S. Department of Education this year as one of the nation's outstanding secondary schools. Contact indeed. About 500 adults from the sparsely settled area attend some sort of adult education class at the school each semester, while only 276 students are enrolled in the school's regular four grades. Even dropouts don't stay away long. The school reports a fairly steady three percent of students quitting before graduation. "Almost all" return to get their diploma or GED in night school.

Katahdin High came to notice in the nationwide search for outstanding schools because it has been popping up surprisingly near the top of Maine high schools in terms of percentage of graduates going on to postsecondary education. While only tenth on the list, the appearance of Katahdin High anywhere above the middle of such a ranking would be bound to raise a statistical eyebrow. A small, isolated, rural school in an area known as well for its hard times as for its natural beauty would not be expected to have a strong collegiate tradition. But 44 percent of last year's graduating class are continuing their education. Twenty percent are enrolled in four-year institutions, 14 percent in community colleges, and 10 percent in vocational training schools. Another 20 percent enlisted in the armed forces, including several students who intend to go to college when they can get the money together.

Principal Loren Ritchie explains this apparent anomaly simply: "Parents believe in education. They want their kids to have something better than they have. They work hard, they don't make much money, but they're willing to sacrifice to send their kids to college."

Other statistics caught the evaluator's eye: A 95 percent attendance rate among students and almost perfect teacher attendance. (Reason: "It's a pleasant place to be.") Half of those who go to college receive scholarships; 69 percent of students come from lo-income families; number of incidents of vandalism last year--two; student achievement about at national norms. There were still some surprises for the Education Department visitor sent to review the school after it was recommended for the Secretary's award by the State Department of Education. The walls of the school are adorned with student-painted murals, but the school has no art tacher or art classes. ("Students tell us what they want to do and we tell them to go ahead," Ritchie explains.) There's a bulletin board for thank-you notes--notes from teachers to students, from students to teachers, or from anyone to anyone, and the board gets a lot of use. The visitor duly reported that the building was neat, the halls quiet, the classes orderly, homework was asigned and expected to be turned in (all of which were criteria for the initial selection), but he also noted a "warm and friendly" school. The school's system of rewards and incentives for teachers and students was described as "hugs and kisses."

But other notes make clear that warm and friendly doesn't mean pemissive or laid back. "insolence or disrespect are not tolerated," (parents are called); "participation in sports requires passing grades in four subjects" (and their teams are consistent winners); "specific times are given for homework submission" (then zeroes are given for lateness).

Even the Maine woods are not isolated from drugs and alcohol. "We had a drug problem about three years ago," Ritchie says. "We got the parents together and came down pretty hard on it. I'm not saying there are no drugs around, but we don't have a problem in school. We don't have a problem with alcohol. If we just smell alcohol we get in touch with the parents right away."

In touch with the parents, in touch with the students, in touch with teachers--good communication is one factor cited frequently by the parents, teachers, and students who are asked what makes their school work. Some of the communication is planned and promoted: the thank-you bulletin board; postcards to parents praising students' progress; an annual survey of student needs and suggestions; student-faculty committees. But the formal channels only confirm the school's policy that anyone's need and anyone's suggestion is worthy of consideration, and all parties attest that they ar listened to when they have a question to ask or a suggestion to make.