Reclaiming Individual Talent (RIT) Program

Reclaiming Individual Talent (RIT) Program 

An Alternative for Students

How does a student get into our program? 

Students are accepted from grades seven through twelve, with the majority in grades nine through twelve.  Placement must be based on administrative referral (a referral worksheet is found on the Employee Resource page) following consultation with parents or guardians, treatment providers, staff at RIT, high school counselors, other administrators, psychologists, and teachers.  Students must begin placement in the RIT Program exclusively.  However, after showing progress, they can begin a gradual transition back to the regular high school or middle school classes or (with approval) the Delta Program, an alternative school of choice.

Location

RIT is located in the Fairmount Avenue building with administrative offices at 154 West Nittany Avenue.  If you would like more information, please call us at 814-231-1011 ext. 1071 to set up an appointment.  Student transportation is provided as needed by the district. 

What is a typical day at the RIT Program?

Students attend from 8:45 AM until 2:45 PM.  Most courses are completed independently through an online computer-based curriculum provided by Edgenuity.  All major subjects are taught, including English, social studies, science, and math, as well as health, driver's education and some electives. Physical Education can be provided by various individual or group arrangements.  All students must participate in group or individual counselor at least 2.5 hours per week to address the specific behaviors and situations that resulted in placement at RIT.  After demonstrating progress at the RIT program, students can begin to spend part of their school day at the regular high school, middle school or the Delta Program.

How many staff are available for students at RIT?

The RIT program has two teachers and one secretary. Certified teachers from State College Area School District oversee assignments and grading.

Our Mission

The mission of the RIT Program is to provide individualized instruction in all academic areas as well as career instruction in a supportive environment. RIT is a temporary placement, and our goal is to help students make a successful transition back to the home school, to post-secondary education, or to a career after high school.  A continuum of care is created which includes various service agencies within the local community in order to address the specific needs of our students.

What courses do students take at RIT?

Our curriculum has been designed by certified teachers from Edgenuity, an on-line, computer-based service.  Each course is modified by teachers from the State College Area High School or the Delta Program to match as much as possible to the curriculum taught at those schools.  All courses are based on Pennsylvania Department of Education standards.  However, the courses are administered on an individual basis, according to student ability and need.  

Counseling

All students are required to participate in at least 2.5 hours of individual or group counseling each week that specifically addresses the behaviors that resulted in placement at RIT. Counseling is provided by a SCASD school counselor and/or social worker and through arrangements with UPMC, graduate level counseling interns from programs at Penn State or through SCASD internal and external mental health services.

How long do students usually attend RIT?

The length of time that a student remains at RIT depends on the individual needs of that student.  However, RIT is intended to be a temporary placement to help students successfully return to the regular school settings. A few students stay on only a few weeks while making a transition to or from an outside therapeutic placement. All RIT students are expected to begin a gradual transition back to their home school after demonstrating progress at RIT. Occasionally, some upper grade level students are allowed to graduate directly from our program after meeting all district requirements.

RIT AEDY

Students that attend RIT/AEDY are facing expulsion and are placed by the superintendent for a specific length of time after a serious violation. For more information related to the AEDY program, please visit the Department of Education/Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth.