SUCCESS IS REQUIRED

It is more than a slogan or motto at Draper Middle School. “If you are a student at Draper, we expect you to succeed and we won’t give up until you do,” Principal Patrick McGrath says.

The program consists of three components:

Essential Tasks

Every class that Draper students are enrolled in has a list of Essential Tasks. In order to receive credit for each course, a student must at least complete these tasks. The grade the student earns above passing will depend directly on the timeliness and quality of the work. If a student is not passing a course, the teacher will determine which Essential Tasks he or she must make up in order to receive passing credit. The student will receive an “incomplete” for the quarter until these tasks are completed.  The school policy is that the student MUST make up the required Essential Tasks.  A student who does not complete a task may be placed on academic probation. The school will make several options available to help students complete Essential Tasks, including Block 5 assistance, Saturday morning sessions, and restriction of privileges. The Essential Tasks for the first quarter have been posted on a specially-created Web page accessible from the Draper homepage.

The 7 Habits

In order to help students develop the personal work habits and attitudes necessary for success, Draper students are studying and discussing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (©1998 Franklin Covey Co.).

Once a week the students participate in a school-wide lesson on The 7 Habits.

“They have really been open to the topics we discuss as part of the lessons,” McGrath says. “There is a high level of engagement and participation.”

Child Success Team

As success is required of all Draper students, it becomes critical that students who struggle get the help they need.

Every day, a team of educators and professionals within the school work with these students to remove the barriers that get in the way of success.

How parents can support “Success”

“Parents have been very receptive to us holding their children to higher standards,” McGrath says. He adds that asking how they can be involved is becoming a common question.

McGrath offers the following suggestions to parents: