Standard 3.8 Human, Material, and Fiscal Resources

Nebo School District currently has one social worker assigned to each high school catchment area. Our school social worker functions as a liaison between individual student and family needs and community resources. They help students get access to reading glasses, backpacks, food, health care, etc. Through referrals from our youth support team, the social worker even provides opportunity for group and individual therapy.

Because of the increase in demand for physical and mental health resources, school social workers have become an essential part of the school's ability to meet the basic needs of students. Without these needs being met, there is no way for our students to succeed academically.

Our graduation and grade report data have continued to show a need to offer credit recovery options to high school students throughout their high school experience. At Payson High School, we have a few different avenues students can use if they are deficient credit: PHS classes, learning strategies, and online classes. One of the primary goals in offering various options is to try to prevent the need for students to attend an alternative high school, drop out, and/or have a need for adult education. District data informed us that the likelihood of graduation and academic success is greater if a student does not have to change school placement. Consequently, we have found it necessary to provide credit recovery options in-house as a Tier 2 Intervention option before intensifying to a change of placement.

The novel coronavirus has created an even greater need for our school to provide learning recovery options for students. Because of this, we allocated resources to seven sections of learning strategies classes. After moving completely remote in the fourth term of last school year, many parents and students gave us feedback that remote learning was difficult for their family situation, especially when students were trying to recover credit for graduation. We found that most students needed a place, time, and facilitator in order to make progress with their credit recovery. This is why we started the learning strategies classes. These classes are offered at the school with a teacher or technician in the classroom. The students use a program called Edgenuity that allows them to work on .25 credit at a time. We anticipate the need to add more learning strategies classes in the future as we continue to address the fallout from the global pandemic.

Research shows that Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an effective system for improving student performance. One PBIS program that PHS has implemented for years and will continue to implement is Student of the Month. This program allows teachers to recognize six students each month for achievement in their respective disciplines. Students receive recognition, a certificate, and some type of reward for being selected. It also functions as a way to recognize student not just for capability within a discipline but for character, work ethic, and other dispositions. The program also helps the school develop relationships of trust with the students and their parents.

Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment

Payson High and Nebo School District have designated resources to expand advanced learning opportunities in order to better prepare students to be more college and/or career ready. These opportunities are offered on and off campus.

Currently, PHS has two programs the can provide students college credit: Advanced Placement (AP) and Concurrent Enrollment (CE) classes. In addition, the Career and Trade Education (CTE) programs can offer certifications in trades.

Off campus, students can take classes at the Advanced Learning Center (ALC) or Mountainland Technical College (MTech). Many of these classes provide the training and learning of a post high school institution, but at a fraction of the cost.