By LEONARD GRAY

RESERVE – A program to help at-risk students and keep them from dropping out of school was announced by St. John the Baptist Parish School Superintendent Michael Coburn at a recent school board meeting.

Coburn made the announcement during his regular report to the board, and said it applied to a number of overage students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. He defined “overage” as those at least two years older than their classmates and who have been held back at least twice.

The purpose, Coburn said, is twofold: to reduce the number of dropouts and to help at-risk students to achieve.

The superintendent’s “Multiage Education” program is designed to regroup students of similar ages into a fast-track program to get them to catch up with their own age group.

The program will be launched at Leon Godchaux Junior High and West St. John Elementary schools.

Coburn said, “The multiage program will be performance and standard bases. The overall goal of the program is for the student to master the skills needed to pass the eighth grade LEAP-21 and progress to high school. Students will be allowed to progress at their own pace and passing or failing will not depend upon completing each grade sequentially.”

Students are grouped by academic need, not by chronological age, Coburn explained, and added the program would help teachers focus on the students’ individual academic needs.

District research, he continued, indicates this would result in boosting the students’ maturity level as well as reducing any anti-social behavior.

At the end of the presentation, board member Russ Wise said, “You (Coburn) keep dropping things like this on us without prior notice,” and added, “By the time we get around to getting together, the planning is already done.”