WATERLOO - "Hectic" is the word sophomore John Joe Barbee uses to describe the pace of his West High School classes.

As teachers taught concepts Barbee couldn't grasp quickly enough, he fell further behind peers. But now, Barbee works at a speed that suits him, with good results.

For about three weeks, he has been a student at Four Oaks in downtown Waterloo, taking classes independently, with the help of a computer-based program created by Plato Learning. He has completed an English class and currently is working through algebra.

"It's really a good program, because before I came here I was lost in algebra," Barbee said. "I'm kind of glad I came here."

Four Oaks officials say they are pleased as well with the results they have seen since implementing Plato's credit recovery program last fall. Thirty-five high school students have earned more than 60 credits. Thirty-five middle school students have picked up more than 70 supplemental course credits. Student attendance also is on the rise.

Four Oaks received an $8,700 grant last fall from the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa to implement the Plato program this school year. The funds paid for the agency's licensing of the program along with the staff's professional development. Computers were donated by Rockwell Collins while desks and chairs were provided by Waterloo Community Schools.

Four Oaks serves an average of 600 Black Hawk County students annually, said Cary Wieland, school program manager in the Waterloo office.

"When there's a need and the student can't be served in the building, they call us," Wieland said. Students typically spend from 4 and a half to nine weeks at Four Oaks. They can take classes in a traditional setting, as well as the computer-based instruction in math, English, science and social studies.

Such computer-based programs are growing in popularity. The Waterloo district plans on using a Performance-Based Diploma program created by Plato or another company, beginning next year. That program for students at risk of dropping out has a computerized academic component along with career education and counseling elements.

A good place to learn

East High School ninth-grader Trezjiona Seals is happy to take her classes on the computer at Four Oaks.

"Math was hard until I got over here," Seals said, citing the distractions of classmates around her. "And the way the teacher taught it was hard to understand."

Tutorials that can be read or heard introduce users to the concepts when they take a class through the Plato system. Afterward, students can do as many practice problems as needed before taking a short test to determine their knowledge level. That helps the computer system tailor coursework to each student's needs as they continue with the class.

The tutorials break down the concepts being taught "step by step," said Ryan King, an Expo High School junior who recently arrived at Four Oaks. He pointed to animated graphics used throughout the tutorials. For example, an animated frying pan pops onto the screen and flips eggs as the algebra tutorial explains inverse operations.

"It makes you focus more," King said. "It just attracts your eye to it."

King says his understanding of algebra has grown.

"I've been here for, like, a week and a half and I've learned, like, 10 or 11 things that I didn't know before," he said.

"It's really a good place to learn," Barbee added. "You still get the full education you'd get, but there's a lot more flexibility involved."

King didn't return to Expo following winter break but soon realized he needed to find a way back to school. Four Oaks was the solution.

"I didn't like school at all, but I come here every day because I need my credits and it's kind of fun," King said. "For me, it's a transition back to school, because I haven't been back to school in three months."

He'll return to Expo for the month-long May term at the end of the school year. King had difficulty keeping up in school because he worked at a slower pace than classmates.

"I think I'll be ahead and get way better grades since I took this class," he said, of learning algebra on the computer. "I think it's improving my speed a little bit."

East junior Jessica Price has finished English and geography classes and is now completing pre-algebra and biology classes through the Plato system.

"I came here to get caught up on my credits. I didn't want to end up staying behind," said Price, who started at Four Oaks in January. Without Four Oaks and the Plato system, she would have been five credits behind at the end of this year. Summer school would have been required to catch up with her peers.

"My ninth grade year, I played around a lot. Started at the beginning of the school year with A's or B's and then I slacked off." She caught up after summer school, but fell behind again by the end of sophomore year.

"My main thing is graduating on time and going to college," said Price. She hopes to pursue a career in respiratory therapy.

Wieland noted that the grant paid for one year of access to the Plato system. He is hoping to forge partnerships with school districts served by Four Oaks to help pay for the program in future years.

Contact Andrew Wind at (319) 291-1507 or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.