Jacob Burkett shifted nervously from one foot to the other, reviewing his slide presentation one last time before the clock started. He adjusted his tie, a red-white-and-blue splash of color, and made sure his blue dress shirt was tucked in appropriately.

The lights were dimmed and Jacob's PowerPoint slides guided the graduating senior through his culminating project, an essay that demonstrated what he'd learned, how he'd learned it, and what he planned to do with his new skills. A panel of evaluators sat alongside his classmates, friends and family members as the high school senior reviewed his educational history and talked about his plans after graduation.

For Jacob, this day was a long time coming and might never have happened without Marysville's SHoPP program.

SHoPP is an acronym for the School-Home Partnership Program, a resource for home-schoolers and self-directed learners that supports kindergarten through 12th grade students. Through the eighth grade, parents serve as the primary teachers, and families must document at least 20 hours of learning activities per week. SHoPP provides curriculum materials to help ensure home-schoolers are meeting state learning standards and, when possible, provides enrichment classes in a variety of subjects.

High schoolers in the program work mostly at home, taking online or contract classes, and are required to document 25 hours of school work each week. Their coursework must align with Marysville School District graduation requirements.

"SHoPP is a great alternative for some students," said Marjorie Serge, one of the program's teachers. "Many of these kids were falling through the cracks at the high school, or they had work or family conflicts that affected their attendance. Here, they can actually earn high school credits for their work experience. We help each student find the learning style that's right for him or her, so they can all be successful."

"It's like a big, weird, diverse family," said Rebekka Brucker, a senior in the program. "I feel very supported here. Enrolling in SHoPP is one of the best decisions I've ever made."

Bekka moved to Marysville from California in the 9th grade. Her school experience in California was disappointing, and as a result, "I thought of teachers as the enemy," she said. At M-PHS she again found herself adrift in a large sea of students, so she transferred to the Arts & Technology High School last school year.

"A&T was better," said the diminutive Bekka, "but I still had some difficulties."

This year, she switched to the SHoPP program, and has finally found her niche and the support she needed to graduate.

Twenty SHoPP students will present culminating projects as the final requirement to earn their high school diplomas this June. The students are as diverse as their needs: young mothers, working students, hands-on learners and others who have finally found academic success as a result of caring, individualized attention.

Marjorie Serge, Cheryl Nordmark, Bruce Campbell, Marnee Andee and Teresa Borseth are teachers in the SHoPP program. The teaching staff is supported by Diana Reistad, a technology liaison who supports the online class portion of the program, and Katie Cannon, who also acts as registrar. The district's Multicultural Specialist, Lynda Robinson, serves as the principal for SHoPP. The entire program is run out of two somewhat dilapidated buildings on the Marysville Middle School campus.

But while the facilities may be makeshift, the learning is anything but. Students have a clear plan outlining their academic and personal goals, and the teachers nurture the teens without coddling them. Along with lessons in math and science, the students receive coaching that helps them cope with sometimes difficult personal situations.

"These kids work very, very hard," said Nordmark. "Sometimes they're overcoming huge deficits in academic credits, and sometimes their challenge is at home and it overflows to school. Either way, they learn how to keep from stumbling over their obstacles, and instead make real progress in their lives."

For students like Jacob and Bekka, the program has proven its worth, and their crowning achievement will come when they walk across the stage, attired in cap and gown, and receive their high school diplomas.