Union, IA June 11, 2018
A chance meeting on a plane 11 years ago led to the fulfillment of a dream for one Iowa educator and the completion of high school for 64 of the most at-risk students in Iowa to date. Iowa Net High Academy, the dream of Dr. Cynthia Knight of Union, IA, provides a path to high school completion for the most at-risk students in Iowa’s school system — those that have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out. In Iowa over 4,000 students drop out each year.
For that reason, the school board in Norwalk, IA, whose district graduated six students through the program this past year, has chosen to recognize Iowa Net High Academy and Dr. Cynthia Knight with their Board Award. Four students remain in the program and will graduate early next year.
The board presents an award each year to an individual or program that deserves recognition for outstanding work in the school district.
Knight’s program, Iowa Net High Academy has an 84 percent graduation rate. Of the students Norwalk assigned the program this year, 86 percent graduated with a high school diploma from the district. Most of those student would never have graduated high school at all without the program.
Iowa NET High Academy provides an alternative to completing traditional high school that is personalized: based on the student’s strengths and career interests. Each unique student has a learning path that incorporates the Common Core Standards to meet the graduation requirements of the districts served. Working closely with partnering districts, the program creates a positive educational experience that meets the school’s requirements for graduation while preparing the student for the next steps in life.
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