RESERVE – East St. John High School Principal Patricia Triche has been selected by the Southern Regional Education Board to share her school’s successful strategies in addressing the needs of over-age students and how the school is helping these students transition to post-secondary studies.

Triche will make her presentation at the High School to Work Annual Staff Development Conference in New Orleans this summer. Her presentation will be titled “Over-aged High School Students Finally Have a Reason to Smile.”

“Thank you for identifying a best practice in this essential area and for developing a quality session that will help other schools in the network want to implement similar engaging practices designed to move students to greater success in achieving grade level and college- and career-ready standards,” said SREB Senior Vice President Gene Bottoms.

Bottoms noted the SREB has sharpened its focus on helping teachers and school implement effective practices designed to foster student success on rigorous standards across all subjects.

In particular, the development efforts are focusing on the Common Core State Standards, which Louisiana’s schools will be implementing.

“A major element of the CCSS is that all teachers share responsibility for student achievement in reading and writing. This is new and it is a game changer for instruction in all classrooms,” Bottoms said, adding that Triche’s presentation will be aligned with this focus.

Bottoms noted that the theme of the conference is about engaging students intellectually, socially, emotionally and behaviorally in learning.

Triche said her presentation will provide details on how the school is working with over-aged students, including student work samples, vignettes from teachers on how the school’s efforts have been implemented and data showing evidence of student improvement.

Triche noted that ESJH’s School Performance Score has jumped nearly 30 points – from 57 to 85.9 – during her tenure.

ESJH teachers Shandra Clark and Elizabeth Leatherwood, who also serves as the school’s graduation coach, will assist Triche with the presentation.