From grade 'F' to passing in 90 minutes

The principal of Eagan High School believes that she can help struggling students get back on track -- in just 90 minutes. "You give me a student for an hour, one on one, and I think I can figure out what they don't understand," said Polly Reikowski.

That's the general idea behind Wildcat Flex Days, a new effort at Eagan to help students who have bombed a test, fallen behind on homework or had trouble understanding lessons.

Two times a trimester, the school rearranges its daily schedule to carve out one extra-long class period that students use for either remediation or enrichment. Students who need extra help report to classrooms where they work on assignments, go over missing homework or review lessons with teachers. Teenagers who are up to speed in all their classes can choose from a list of fun activities, from yoga to chess.

It is only 90 minutes, but school leaders hope that setting aside that time -- during the school day, and well before finals -- will keep more students from failing classes.

The goal, Reikowski said, is to sit down with students early enough that they never think, "I'm so far behind now, I'll never catch up."

Eagan's Flex Days, which started this fall, are just one way that schools are trying to keep students from falling between the cracks. In an era when schools must track how their students do on tests and face penalties under federal law if they fall short, many have stepped up tutoring or made myriad other changes to boost student achievement.

On Friday, Eagan's 2,230 students split up for the second of six special remediation periods planned this school year.

"I didn't do so hot on my math test, which I actually studied for," said Kappes, adding that Algebra II can be a challenge for her. If she gets a concept right off the bat, things are fine, "but if I don't understand it, it's pretty much downhill from there."

A few doors down, a cluster of students went over French lessons. Others in an enrichment class learned to play cribbage.

In the principal's office, Reikowski had a printout of a list of all the students who had been referred for remediation by teachers. She counted 548 referrals, but that figure includes some students who needed help in more than one subject.

It's too soon to tell whether Flex Days make a difference, but the first session helped many kids catch up during the fourth week of school this fall, she said.

Flex Days are a good way to make teachers think hard, early in the trimester, about which students are falling behind, she said. They're also a chance to help students who don't raise their hands in class or stay after school to meet with teachers.

In one lecture hall, a teacher drilled kids in a game of World History Final Jeopardy, an enrichment activity. "The history finals are normally really hard, so I figure this is a good start to my studying," said junior Lance Gauer.