Franklin Central program offers struggling students a chance - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

A classroom at Franklin Central High School is full all day, every day, with students struggling to correct their mistakes, graduate and not drop out.

Tyler Riesmiller, a senior, has worked two years making up classes he failed as a freshman.

"I never did homework. I didn't care about homework," said Tyler, saying that he "basically didn't care" about school. But now a new mentoring program is making sure students like Tyler don't fall through the cracks.

Three years ago, administrators at Franklin Central were shocked by the number of smart students failing because, according to the principal, they felt lost.

"They have a sense of they are not going anywhere. They need somebody to encourage them. They need a relationship. There is an adult that cares about them. I think that's the big thing that's turned this thing around," said Kevin Koers, principal.

Teachers now adopt and check on individual students. Academic counselors aggressively push students to keep up. There is a waiting list for a program allowing students to turn Fs into passing grades without having to retake the entire class.

Julia Frazier is their teacher, coach, and cheerleader. She's glad she accepted the chance to work with this group of students because it's about giving them hope.

"When students fall behind and fail a few classes, quite often, they will say, 'Well, I'm giving up. I quit. I am not going back to school next year,'" she explained.

Other high schools are fighting the same battle. At the height of Indiana's dropout crisis, it was estimated that 30 percent - one in three teenagers - were leaving high school without a diploma. Since then, Indiana's graduation rate has improved to 86 percent.

"I see it as a challenge, but the kids really respond to the program and it does help them to get caught up and it does give them a sense of self-worth. These kids that are in here are very intelligent. For whatever reason, they may have missed too much school, not kept up with their homework in the classroom; there are any number of reasons why they're in here, but they often -after a module or two and they've completed something - have this sense of accomplishment. 'I can do this. I am smart. I am able to do this,'" said Frazier.

Franklin Central graduation rate is up to 88 percent, and is expected to hit 90 when the latest figures are calculated.

More important than improving numbers, schools are improving students' opportunities.

"My mindset was, 'I can't wait until I'm 16 so I can drop out' and now I can't believe I'm a senior looking at colleges," Tyler said.