Feb 28, 2025 |
Graduations at W.K. Kellogg Preparatory High School are often emotional.
So much so that Principal Calvin Williams says he can barely get through his welcoming speech without getting choked up and shedding some tears.
“These kids are like our own kids and we know that they maybe haven’t gotten the love at home or their previous school,” Williams said. “I’m usually a wreck the entire (graduation) day. At the end, I provide roses to each one of the graduates and to see their reaction after getting a rose and a diploma is priceless.”
W.K. Kellogg Preparatory High School – or W.K. Prep – is a comprehensive support and improvement school. As part of Battle Creek Public Schools, it serves students who are credit deficient, often due to learning differences, behavioral needs or personal circumstances that have made it difficult to thrive in a standard classroom environment.
W.K. Prep offers a less traditional path to a diploma, using a learning model tailored to each student’s individual needs to ensure they are supported and celebrated all the way to graduation.
ENTERING A NEW ARENA
W.K. Prep began as Battle Creek Alternative High School in 2016, taking over the second floor of the former W.K. Kellogg Middle School building at 60 W. Van Buren St. The following year, students voted to rename the school after the Kellogg Co. founder.
Williams said one of the things that separates W.K. Prep from other alternative high schools is that it follows the “arena model” developed by Bronx Arena High School in New York. He and district administration visited the school and began implementing its strategies six years ago.
“We liked what they were doing in terms of outcomes and celebrating the kids,” Williams said. “It has provided kids one-on-one academic support or in small groups. It’s not that large class size anymore. Kids can say, ‘I need help with math,’ and can sit next to the math teacher who can provide academic support at a high level.”
Students at W.K. Prep are required to complete 19 credits to graduate, compared to their peers at Battle Creek Central High School who need 26 credits to earn a diploma. Each student is issued a laptop and can work remotely at their own pace, with four classes per day. They can participate in any extracurricular activity offered to BCC students and can dual enroll at the Calhoun Area Career Center and Kellogg Community College.
Of the roughly 170 students enrolled at the high school, about 80 are in the building daily. Carlie Hawkins, dean of instruction at W.K. Prep, said that flexibility is offered to help remove potential barriers to learning.
“We have that brick-and-mortar spot for them to come in for the academic support and those wraparound services,” Hawkins said. “A lot of students can do the work from home, but they come in because they need the food, shelter, clothing and community that they wouldn’t get anywhere else. Students have access to instruction 24/7 because some are teen parents; some have to be caregivers to younger siblings or aging family members; some have to work full time to support their families; some have health issues or social anxiety; all kinds of barriers including not having basic needs like clean clothes and hygiene where they are embarrassed to come to school.”
W.K. Prep provides sequential learning, where students study at their own pace before moving on to the next subject. There are no semesters, and two graduation ceremonies are held each school year at W.K. Kellogg Auditorium – one in December and one in May.
“Our graduations are short and sweet, and the longest part is all the hugs,” Hawkins said. “They light up. We love all these kids.”
BACK ON TRACK
A typical student at W.K. Prep is admitted because they were in danger of not graduating on time or they struggled in a traditional school setting.
Dalviere Garrett, 17, transferred to W.K. Prep from a neighboring school district, after realizing he was not living up to his full potential.
“I was very off task my freshman and sophomore year, wasn’t getting a lot of work done and kind of struggled,” Garrett said. “I came to W.K. Prep High School because I needed a change and I needed to do better for myself. I want to succeed in life.”
Garrett added that he is back on track and is working towards being accepted into college where he plans to major in sports management.
“Ever since I came here, I’ve been more on task and focused with better grades,” he said. “It’s been a good change for me.”
W.K. Prep students are eligible for the Bearcat Advantage if they have been enrolled at BCPS for their entire high school career. Students who have attended BCPS from kindergarten through graduation can receive up to 100% off tuition and mandatory fees at eligible Michigan colleges and universities, as well as certain Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
OUTSIDE THE BOX EDUCATION
W.K. Prep students each have an “arena,” much like a traditional home room. Instead of having the same instructor for one school year, students are paired up with the same staff member for the entirety of their high school career.
While noting that all educators work to build relationships and trust with their students, Williams said the staff at W.K. Prep goes above and beyond in establishing a rapport with students to help identify the root causes of what is keeping them from reaching their full potential.
“We say, ‘Tell us what is it that you need from us so we can help you?’” Williams said. “We try to be intentional about how we approach these kids. With the relationship piece, we ask what is wrong and what happened to make you feel that way? It’s educating outside of the box.”
BCPS Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Carter said that W.K. Prep not only offers a quality education in a nontraditional setting, but it also provides “hope.”
“It definitely saves kids’ lives in terms of giving them hope when they didn't see any,” Carter said. “It's the specialized program for that student who doesn't see themselves in these larger, comprehensive high schools, so that they have a place to go to get that personalized attention that sets them up for success.
“We know that those are the kids who needed us most. They now have a place that is just for them.”