Covington Virginian Review
July 15, 2006

Jackson River Governor's School Completes Year

The Jackson River Governor's School at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, one of sixteen Academic-Year Governor's Schools in the state, recently completed its sixth year of operation.

Like previous classes, this year's graduates will be attending four-year colleges and universities in the fall. Again, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia are the most popular destinations with Roanoke College, James Madison University, Virginia Military Institute, Bridgewater College, Ferrum College, and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology rounding out the college choices.

Each Academic-Year Governor's School serves a group of school divisions in their area. Students from Alleghany County, Bath County, Botetourt County, Covington City, and Buena Vista City are eligible to attend the Jackson River Governor's School. Students in Rockbridge County and Lexington City may attend with permission from the Rockbridge County school division office. The Governor's School operates as a half-day program on the Clifton Forge campus of Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, with the students returning to their home high school for afternoon classes and extracurricular activities.

While at the Governor's School, students earn about 40 college credits through Dabney S. Lancaster Community College's dual enrollment program. When the students later enroll at a four-year college or university, most of them have advanced standing. The exact number of credits transferred tends to vary, depending upon the policies of the four-year institution and the student's chosen program of study. While a few of the Governor's School graduates have completed college in three years, many more have found it possible to use the extra time saved for a second major or more electives in which they have an interest. The biggest advantage, though, is that Governor's School graduates are more familiar with the expectations and requirements of college courses, making the transition from high school to college life a little easier.

The Governor's School at DSLCC specializes in science, mathematics, and technology courses, but over a third of the graduates have gone on to four-year colleges or universities to major in non-technical subjects such as political science, foreign language, and communications, demonstrating that the JRGS focus on mathematics, science, and technology does not limit the graduates in any way as they explore majors and career fields.

This year the Governor's School successfully completed its first evaluation by the Virginia Department of Education. A team of three administrators and teachers at both high school and college levels visited on March 28-30, 2006. The team recommended continuation of the Governor’s School program, and cited "the superb facilities, high student achievement, and excellent relationship with DSLCC" as highlights of the program.

Governor's School students have opportunities to participate in activities and courses that are not offered at their home high schools. Three students, Jonathan Cale, Matt Howard, and John Rollinson, participated in the Western Virginia Regional Science Fair in Roanoke on March 25, 2006. In June, Chris Shepard presented his work at the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology Student Research Conference at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

Governor's School students also participate in community outreach projects. In March, students assisted with the Tech Prep Career Exploration Day on the DSLCC Campus. Students showed the sixth-grade participants how to perform several water quality tests as an example of a task one may perform in a science-related career. On Earth Day at Douthat State Park, Governor's School students prepared a morning of environmental activities for fourth-grade students from Mountain View and Callaghan Elementary Schools in Alleghany County. In cooperation with the Alleghany 4-H program, the Governor's School helps sponsor the middle school science club for students at Jeter-Watson Intermediate School in Covington and Clifton Middle School in Alleghany County.

Throughout its six years of operation, the Jackson River Governor's School at DSLCC has attempted to meet the needs of the special groups of learners that enter its doors at the start of each academic year. Students and families who are interested in learning more about attending the JRGS, including the admission requirements and a detailed curriculum, are invited to contact Dr. Susan Rollinson, the director of the program. During the academic year, prospective students and their families may want to arrange a visit to observe the classes and become familiar with the format of the students' mornings spent each week on the Clifton Forge campus.

The Governor's School Program in Virginia was established in 1973 through the efforts of Governor Linwood Holton. The program began with 400 gifted students enrolled in a residential summer program and has grown to include several types of Governor's Schools at 40 sites throughout the state, including Academic-Year, Summer Residential, and Summer Regional Governor's Schools. These programs were developed for special learners to have opportunities to participate in classes and activities designed to challenge them and meet their unique needs. While many changes have occurred in all of the Governor's Schools over the years, the purpose has remained the same--to serve a population of students who have different learning needs that may not be addressed in the curriculum offered in most public high schools.

DSLCC is also the site for a Summer Regional Governor's School which has focused on the subject of field ecology. Dr. Rollinson also directs this program and serves as the contact person to answer questions about enrolling for the 2007 summer session.

Call 540/863-2841, email srollinson@dslcc.edu or go to http://jrgs.dslcc.edu/ for more information about the academic-year Jackson River Governor's School for Science, Mathematics, and Technology. Information about the Field Ecology Summer Regional Governor's School can be found at http://jrgs.dslcc.edu/srgs-fe/.