In a bright classroom at Harrisburg Middle School, Jennifer Irvin and Melanie Pittman are reviewing student progress reports. As the school's Academic Enrichment specialists, they monitor the grades of nearly 400 middle school students, identifying which ones might need additional support.

"We're really there to monitor grades," explains Irvin, who has 19 years of teaching experience. "We check grades for all students in the building, then meet every day to make a list of students that need to come see us."

Now in its third year, the Academic Enrichment program represents an innovative approach to ensuring student success. The program was born out of necessity following the challenges of the pandemic, when educators noticed students struggling to keep up with their coursework.

"After Covid, many students were falling behind for a variety of reasons," Irvin says. "We had to problem-solve this situation. We couldn't count on work being completed after school ended."

The program offers targeted support for students who don't have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) but still need additional help. Students who are struggling academically temporarily pause their elective courses to receive support from Irvin and Pittman, giving them an extra hour each day to catch up on homework, organize their studies, or receive individualized instruction.

"We take them out of their elective class for a period of time—it might be one week, it might be a month. It depends on what they need," Pittman explains. "They're not missing any instruction in their academic classes."

What makes the program unique is its positive, non-punitive approach. Students are encouraged to view Academic Enrichment as a helpful resource rather than a punishment.

"We try to make it a positive thing," says Pittman, who has taught for 11 years. "We're doing this to help you because we want you to succeed and we want to get you back to your elective."

The teachers emphasize that Academic Enrichment isn't just for students who are struggling. Athletes, students involved in numerous extracurricular activities, and those who have missed school due to illness all benefit from the extra time and guidance.

A significant focus of the program is helping students develop organizational skills. For sixth graders especially, the transition from elementary to middle school can be overwhelming—navigating eight different classes with different teachers, managing Chromebooks, and keeping track of assignments.

"For sixth graders, we took a couple of days at the beginning of the year to show them how to log into PowerSchool, our grading platform," Irvin says. "This first step of knowing that this exists, how to log in, and what to do with it empowers them to track their own progress."

The results speak for themselves. By the end of the first semester this year, only 2% of students had failing grades—a remarkable achievement that the teachers attribute to the collaborative effort of the entire school.

"It's very much a joint effort from all of us," Pittman emphasizes. "We work with other teachers constantly about what students need, what work they should make up, and how we can help."

For Irvin and Pittman, seeing students succeed is the most rewarding aspect of their work. They recall eighth graders who hadn't earned passing grades for two years suddenly finding success through the program.

"We want them to feel empowered," Irvin says, her passion evident. "With just a little bit of organization or extra help, they are able to learn and keep up with their work."

When asked what they want the community to know about their school, both teachers respond without hesitation: "We care. We are here to support the students so they can be successful."

"The most important thing is the kids," Pittman adds, emotion in her voice. "Whatever it takes—that's been our motto this year."