Parents Contribute to Positive Change at Kelvyn Park

Kelvyn Park High School has improved tremendously inthe last four years, and KP Principal, Dr. Sandra Fontanez-Phelan, can prove it:

· Student absenteeism has dropped 43%, just in the past year and a half· Graduates enrolling in a four-year college rose from 52% in 2004 to 67% in 2005

· Kelvyn Park’s graduation rate for the class of 2005 was 73.9%: a ten-point improvement over the class of 2004

Despite the clear progress, a front-page article in the Chicago Tribune cited Kelvyn Park High School as one of the worst in the city for college enrollment. Dr. Phelan, teachers, and students came together and responded by pointing out that the study failed to reflect the recent, dramatic changes at Kelvyn Park. The school has improved curriculum and added both a college coach and a college counselor.

The Chicago Tribune and the Reader took note to the school's strong response, and published follow-up stories on the current, more positive, reality. Dr. Phelan noted that daily attendance is normally close to 90 percent.

This can partially be attributed to the hard work of 6 LSNA Parent Mentors, who make phone calls and home visits to parents of truant students. With the help of these parents, the number of absences at Kelvyn Park has dropped by 43% since the program began in Spring 2005.