Anchor Learning Academy

Anchor Learning Academy

• Year founded: 2012

• Year closed: 2023

• Location: Providence, RI

• School Address(es): 520 Hope Street, Providence, RI, 02904

• Facility: While the school was housed within the Providence Center’s existing special education high school and shared staff, the recovery high school was separate. The RHS was housed in a separate wing of the Providence Center’s 520 Hope Street location, in order to maintain the recovery community. (3)

• Other Names: none

• School Type: Public - Charter

• Mission/Purpose & Description:  To help teens who have struggled with substance abuse stay clean while catching up on their studies. (1) Anchor was developed in recognition of the high number of students who have substance use problems in RI and are "forced to return to unsafe environments when they complete treatment." (2)

• Origins: The Providence Center worked closely with Massachusetts recovery high school principals to garner a full understanding of the Massachusetts model. Key school staff visited the Massachusetts schools and spoke to staff, students, and families. Providence Center’s CEO, Dale Klatzker, traveled to 8 recovery high schools across the nation and researched the model thoroughly. Klatzker and other staff attended the Association of Recovery Schools Conference. (3) The school, which opened in September 2012, was called the first of its kind in Rhode Island. Anchor Learning Academy was initially approved as a two-year pilot project by Rhode Island's Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education in March 2012. (2)

• Reason Closed: The Providence Center closes its Providence Center School and Anchor Learning Academy on August 11, 2023. Both schools closed after the end of summer programming due to a decline in enrollment and a shortage of special education teachers and children’s behavioral health specialists. (4)

• Student Demographics: School started small with about 4 students. (1) The school was designed to enroll between 10 and 20 students from across Rhode Island. All students weremexpected to complete substance use disorder treatment; be alcohol and drug free for 30 days prior to admission; and agree to sign a contract authorizing random drug testing. (3)

• Funding:

• Enrollment:

• Staffing:

• Recovery Model & Philosophy:

• Admission Requirements:

• Academic Program: Each graduating student met the academic graduation requirements of their community school district and received a diploma from that district. Since the school employed an open entry/exit model, enrolling students at all points of the school year, they employed a proficiency based model, which allowed students to work at their own pace until they mastered the necessary content and skills. (4) Anchor's curriculum was designed to align with academic standards that met the state's core curriculum while engaging students through technology and real world learning experiences. (2)

• Recovery & Therapeutic Services: The school balanced providing tools for students to maintain their recovery, including recovery groups, recovery sponsorship and access to clinical services, with academic standards. (2) According to school materials, therapeutic services include: 

  • Direct linkages to clinical support for students and their families through The Providence Center’s wide-array of clinical and support services.

  • Teachers with social-emotional competence expertise.

  • Family support specialists and school clinical director act as partners with teachers, school director and school principal.

  • Partnership with Phoenix House to academically support students who relapse, so that when they return to school they are not behind. 

  • Connection to The Anchor Recovery Community Center—RI’s only recovery community center which provides a wide array of non-clinical support services and 3 membership in the recovery community to people in recovery from substance abuse problems—both while in school and for students who graduate or return to their community school.

  • Relationships with school districts and Student Assistance within school districts. (3)

• School Hours:  The school day was from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• After School Programming. The school worked on developing afterschool programming in coordination with the Anchor Recovery Community Center. (3)

• Key Figures: Dale Klatzker, Providence Center’s CEO

SOURCES

(1) RI offers school to help teenagers with drug addiction. Telegram.com. (October 25, 2012).

(2) Media announcement, August 31, 2012.

(3) School document, December 1, 2012.

(4) Providence Center School, Anchor Learning Academy to close this summer. (May 25, 2023).