Visiting each campus provides a glimpse of the unique climate and culture of each school. Like many rural districts in Alabama, community pride runs deep at each campus and is probably even more evident under Friday night lights in the fall. The schools, which can be separated by many miles of winding roads as well as differences in socioeconomic status, have found common ground through the use of ACCESS. Mr. Bill Hopkins stated, “As a superintendent trying to create equality and equity among all our schools, I see [ACCESS] as something that is huge for us because it allows our students to be on an even playing field throughout the county and as we compete with other school systems. It is a great addition to the menu that we have for academics here!”

Patrick Patterson, Director of Secondary Instruction, indicated that ACCESS is implemented differently at each school. At West Morgan High School, one facilitator, Ms. Diane King, operates a traditional ACCESS lab for students. At A.P. Brewer, three different coaches rotate times for facilitating ACCESS. Meanwhile, at Danville, various teachers are assigned to the lab throughout the day. Each principal has the autonomy to make the schedule work at the school level. However, the one thing that remains constant is the expectation for the successful use of ACCESS at all schools. “It starts at the top. When we make it a priority, when you put the children and their needs first, that knocks a lot of obstacles out of the way. We want to offer multiple opportunities for students in Morgan County,” Superintendent Hopkins replied.

Hopkins has been associated with using ACCESS for almost 15 years. “It is very easy to sell something early, but what is really impressive with our relationship with ACCESS is that it has withstood the test of time. It has withstood the test of multiple administrators at the district and school levels,” he explained. Mr. Patterson indicated that Morgan County’s solution from day one has been to provide endless opportunities for students. The partnership with ACCESS has provided the school district with a way to open many academic doors that it otherwise could not provide or support due to financial constraints. “Financially, you can’t just put a French teacher for five kids in one of our schools,” the superintendent continued. So, the model is that all classes are listed as options on the registration form for students. Mr. Patterson explained that if a parent states that they want their child to take French, then the response is that absolutely that class is offered, and the format is through the use of ACCESS.

Another factor of Morgan County’s success is the district’s implementation of the use of School Status as a part of a district initiative to increase communication with parents. Mr. Raper stated, “In just a matter of [a few] key strokes, I can send a parent a text asking them to talk with their child about their ACCESS grades. It has been a quick and easy documented fix to student performance.” Hiring competent, caring, and engaging facilitators, providing students with options where they can choose their own academic pathway, and frequently communicating with parents have all led to Morgan County’s successful implementation with ACCESS.