Photograph: Star Academy account executive Keith Brown and curriculum specialists Brett McSherry and Charone Babineaux present their program to the St. Landry Parish School Board. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Contributing Writer
Opelousas Junior High principal Chad Lemelle hopes that $2 million in state grant funding for a career-directed learning program scheduled during the upcoming school year, will help improve overall academic achievement on a campus where state test scores indicate students have continued to underachieve.
Lemelle was optimistic on Monday night that a St. Landry Parish School Board decision which allows Star Academy personnel to develop an activity-directed achievement model for selected OJHS students will help elevate student learning levels when school reopens in August.
Many of the seventh and eighth grade students at OJHS Lemellle said during an interview, are reading several grade levels behind, while the school received an “F” report card on state test results last year.
Lemelle thinks that potentially a Star Academy academic program which emphasizes hands-on learning and project-based student involvement could perhaps raise state testing scores by 2024.
“Last year we were four and a half points away from a D after testing. I think it will help our students to get into a program where learning is going to be more non-traditional. Students will be engaging with one another now rather than just sitting at a desk. A lot of our students are having difficulty and many of them are reading at two or three grade levels below where they need to be,” Lemelle added.
Newly-appointed school superintendent Milton Batiste III, who attended but did not preside over the meeting, said during a separate interview that the Star Academy model could become a factor in transforming OJHS and several other low-performing schools in the parish.
Batiste said he intends to develop a ninth-grade academy at Opelousas High School, which he feels could assist transitioning low-achieving students from OJHS into a high school academic setting.
One of the priorities that Batiste stressed during the superintendent interview process was exploring ways to improve the number of failing public schools in St. Landry.
Targeting the St. Landry District
Star Academy account executive Keith Brown said in an interview after the meeting that St. Landry became a prospective turnaround school district during discussions that Star Academy has had with Richard Hartley, one of several educational policy advisors for Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Brown said that St. Landry qualified for the type of district that Hartley and other state education officials felt could benefit from the Star Academy classroom program.
“Some of the factors that were looked at in making this decision (for St. Landry) is in need for career-type learning and students who appear to be disengaged. St. Landry was looked at by state officials as one of those districts and (Star Academy) approved that decision,” Brown said.
The School District Brown told board members during a presentation, will not be expected to provide any revenues for instituting the Star Academy program.
“All funds that are being used will be coming from the state,” Brown said.
Brown explained to board member Raymond Cassimere that the District will own the renovations made to the OJHS classrooms.
After three-years Brown added that the District can decide whether to fund and continue receiving classroom support from Star Academy.
Brown added during the interview that Star Academy will begin in four weeks redesigning several OJHS classrooms. Then it will probably take at least an additional two weeks to install the equipment and technology delivery systems for the 160 students that will be involved in the Star Academy program.
Star Academy, Brown said, is operated by NOLAEducation, LLC.
Interim St. Landry superintendent Dwanetta Scott said during a School Board meeting last week that Star Academy works with students who are achieving below grade level in core academic subjects such as English, mathematics, science and social studies.
Once teachers at OJHS are trained in presenting the Star Academy model, Scott said Star Academy will provide continued academic support and the instructional materials needed for the classroom.
Scott added the Board needed to convene the special meeting held Monday night in order to comply with the Star Academy deadline for the grant funding and redesigning several OJHS classrooms.
Star Academy Scott told board members, works primarily with students who are at-risk academically and in grades where they are considered overage.
Essentials of the Program
Brown explained to board members on Monday that Star Academy seeks to educate students with career-driven projects. Students will work on short-term projects in small group settings in addition to focusing on core student development.
Star Academy Brown told board member Mary Ellen Donatto, doesn’t intend to change the seventh and eighth-grade curriculum standards used in the District.
“What we plan to do is adapt the curriculum to the one that is already used in the District. The teacher is more of a facilitator, who is engaging with the students,” Brown explained.
