DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / March 25, 2000

LUTCHER – Superintendent P. Edward Cancienne believes the Cypress GroveLearning Center project will enhance education on the east bank of St. JamesParish.

And he said research shows that students perform better when left in one school setting longer.

But others, including college professors, say that may not be true.

Cancienne spent last week promoting his new project, attending open forums with school staffs and parents.

The project, if approved by the school board, would give the community a place to further its educational needs, whether it be adults improving their computer skills and/or studying for the General Equivalency Diploma or children receiving help with their classwork.

It would be housed at the current site of Lutcher Junior High School, and that school would be dissolved. Seventh-graders would remain at the elementaryschools, and eighth-graders would attend Lutcher High.

Cancienne first went to Lutcher Elementary School Tuesday for a faculty meeting with the teachers and staff, and followed that up with a parents’ meeting that evening. He did the same at other schools during the week,explaining his vision of the proposed plan and outlining the research it was based upon.

Cancienne assured the teachers that despite rumors there would be no jobs lost because of this project. He also reminded the school staff, “We’ve beencalled to do a lot, called to educate all to high levels of learning.”Cypress Grove is centered around that idea, being a facility for learning open to all ages.

Cancienne explained that by dissolving the middle school segment of the school system administrators would be able to create a better learning environment for both students and teachers. He quoted from researchfindings that sixth-graders incorporated in their elementary schools, or those who attended a K-12 school, are significantly higher than their middle school peers in student achievement and social behaviors.

“We must give up grade fragmentation,” he said, adding this would lessen the anxiety of changing school and leaving friends.

The grade fragmentation refers to the transferring of students to new schools in sixth and ninth grades, and Cancienne said he found in his research that students learned better with less gaps.

He added that with violence traditionally higher in junior high schools, “The gap would come later when the student is more ready to handle it.” Cancienne said the after-school education center would provide a place for children to hang out. He said he’s found the hours for crime by children peakbetween 3 in the afternoon and 8 in the evening. “No longer can we say ourhours are only 8 to 3,” he said.

He asked for the teachers to have persistence and patience and give the project time to work.

During his meeting with staff at Lutcher Elementary, Cancienne answered questions, including: Q: Would this eventually be on both sides of the river? A: “The school system is open to that, but it’s wrong to start on both sides, though the program is needed there. The east bank has a good populationbase and the schools are close, providing quick access and mobility. Also, thewest bank schools are above the level in both student behavior and achievement.”Q: Would the elementary schools begin to provide electives? A: “The electives are less important than base studies in preparation for the LEAP test.”Q: Why would I want my child with a 12-year-old mind and a 16-year-old body with 18- and 19-year-olds? A: “The eighth-graders will have their own separate lunch time and meet only ninth-graders for gym class.”Q: At the last Lutcher Elementary open house only five parents came. Willthey come to the learning center? A: “It will take some extrinsic motivation.”Q: Won’t the students get burned out? A: “The center is voluntary, and good boys and girls clubs can attract and satisfy kids.”Cancienne thanked the teachers, saying the dialogue was good. He laterexplained that he wanted to get the issue into an open forum setting to start discussions, get the information out and clear away possible rumors. Thatwas the purpose of going to all the elementary schools, even Romeville which is already a K-8 school.

While Cancienne quoted research saying the proposed school grade distributions would be good, two area professors aren’t so sure.

Elaine Spencer-Carver, assistant professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of New Orleans, said there are advantages for the seventh- graders to be in an elementary school setting, but fifth- and sixth-graders are really influenced by seventh-grade students.

“If the school could provide additional life studies, sex education (and other such) classes,” the K-7 system would work better, she said.

She said these studies are not just needed in this particular situation, because on average children’s exposure to the world is changing as well.

LSU Assistant Professor of Education/Research Dr. Deidra Frazier agreedthat there are advantages inherent in smaller schools, but she said to return middle school grades to elementary schools is a backward step. She saidstudents in middle school need much more attention than they currently are given, and she added middle schoolers are often left out and this situation may only compound the problem.

If the Cypress Grove Project “reduced class sizes significantly, than that would be a good first step,” Frazier added.

Some citizens are fearful the project is just a way of closing down Lutcher Junior High.

“This is the third time (since its opening) that the school system has tried to close down the school because it’s in a black neighborhood,” said the Rev. H.Gordon, who added he believes some people don’t like their children going to the school because of its location.

Gordon said he doesn’t believe the school is being treated fairly in concern to equipment, funds and repairs, and with this project Cancienne is insubordinating against the school board.

In case the project does get approved at the 6 p.m. school board meeting Tuesday, Gordon is already preparing to fight it in court.

“We don’t want to do it, but we’re not going to lay down,” he stated.

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