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On the road to graduation with Martin County's "Highway to Success"

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. -- More FCAT scores released today. This time it's third grade reading and math exams. The state says fewer passed this year's tougher grading scale. 56-percent of students are reading and 58-percent of students are doing math at or above level 3 on the one to 5 scale.

In Palm Beach County 54-percent of students scored above a 3 on the reading tests.
In St. Lucie County it was close with 53-percent.
In Indian River County 63-percent scored about a 3.
In Martin County 64-percent.
In Okeechobee County 46-percent scored 3 or higher.

The third grade reading test is important because it determines whether or not students will pass to the fourth grade. This is the first year the new grading standards are in place.

So what happens with students who don't do well on the FCAT? Or don't like school? Maybe they decide to drop out.

One local school district has an answer to that called Highway to Success. Martin County schools have the second highest graduation rate in the state. More than 95 percent of its students get a diploma and this program may be one of the reasons for that.

Alan Fried: I'm class of 2012.

Alan Fried never thought he would be able to say that. He never thought he would graduate from high school.

Alan Fried: I didn't feel I could finish school. I was tired of it and I didn't want to do it no more.

Brandon Snyder felt the same way.

Brandon Snyder: I didn't like getting up every morning... homework, teachers.

Both of these Martin County High School students dropped out -- but school officials weren't ready to give up on them. They know what happens to kids who don't finish high school.

Nancy Kline/Martin Co. School Superintendent: You really are trapped. You end up becoming somebody that doesn't have the advantage of being self-supporting, sustaining yourself, much more likely to be incarcerated.

So, Alan and Brandon came back into a special program called Highway to Success, that lets them work at their own pace.

Nancy Kline: If you're in earth science and you're studying volcanos, if you miss a few days, you come back and you're behind. But in this program, when you come back -- you're still working on volcanos.

The customized learning program takes place in the computer lab. The students listen to lectures and take tests on their own schedule. For Brandon, he could keep his job at Publix.

Brandon Snyder: Say I have to work in the morning, I just call the teachers and tell her I have to work -- that's okay.

The students still have to get the required 26 credits to graduate, but in the end they have a diploma from Martin County High School, a sense of accomplishment, and a future.

Thursday, May 24 2012, 07:41 PM EDT

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