15/Jan/2009
Zachary Community Schools Enter the New Year’s Revolution
By Pat Friedrich
On the first of January each year, millions of people begin the annual ritual of making New Year’s resolutions. It is the time of year for reflection. Folks look back upon the preceding year and forward to the new one. They resolve to do something different, to do something better.
Health club memberships and diet programs soar in the following weeks while the sales of chocolate and alcohol decline as they are replaced by healthier food and drink. People take a long, hard look at what is important. It is “time for a new beginning.”
But what should be the New Year’s resolution for the Zachary Community School System? Things seem to be looking just fine.
Zachary School “Revolution”
In May, the School Board formally recognized and honored more than 50 students who achieved perfect scores on at least one subject area of the state's high stakes accountability tests. Scores on the first-time End-of-Course exam in Algebra I indicate Zachary has the highest percent of students in the state scoring in the “Excellent” category.
In November, the Zachary school system received an even greater honor. The Louisiana Department of Education released the 2008 School and District Performance Scores and ranked the Zachary Community School District as the best in the state for the fourth consecutive year.
The average 2008 score of students was 112.6 - a two-and-a-half point growth over last year. In fast, the most recent score was the highest that the Zachary Community School District has ever obtained.
“The Zachary Community School System is blessed to be number one,” Zachary School Superintendent Warren Drake said. “We have fantastic staffs at all of our schools. Our students are receptive and motivated.”
But the Superintendent believes that having the best academic schools in the state is not enough. He said the system must be willing to push beyond just what the state expects and take it to the next level.
“We must never stop looking for new challenges,” Drake said.
As the Superintendent reflected upon the school year and toward the next, he chose not to make a New Year’s resolution. Instead Drake decided to make a New Year’s revolution.
His goal and promise to the students and parents of the Zachary Community is to revolutionize and transform elementary and secondary education. He plans to take the culture of education to new heights.
Education for Life
Starting in January, the school system will begin to incorporate a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade post-secondary education initiative that Drake called “Journey to College and Career.” From this point forward, when students walk across the graduation stage they will not just be walking out of high school. They will be walking towards a very specific and planned out post-secondary life.
This dynamic, innovative and inclusive program will require systematic change in the way that parents, students and staff think. Even the youngest of the students will be affected. Beginning in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, students will see the use of college preparatory vocabulary imbedded into their daily school lessons.
START Saving
Parents will also learn about Louisiana’s Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust (START) Savings Program and will be encouraged to open up an account.
Administered by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA), START is a unique way to save for your children and grandchildren’s college tuition. Anyone can begin saving by opening up a savings account for college, called an Education Savings Account (ESA) on behalf of a named beneficiary. The account owners can save at their own pace, while still having the benefit of having their money professionally managed.
The START program goes even further by offering a greater incentive to save. As you deposit funds, the state of Louisiana will annually match a percentage of the deposits made to the account during the calendar year. This match is called an Earnings Enhancement. The State of Louisiana will match up to 14 percent of deposits each year.
The goal is to have every student enrolled by the start of third grade.
College Preparation
For middle and high school students, “Journey to College and Career” will include continued participation in the rigorous academic coursework required for a successful transition into college. It will also include the planning and process of completing necessary post-secondary applications.
By the time that they are seniors, students will have accumulated a career portfolio that includes everything required to transition into either some form of post-secondary education or workforce. This will include transcripts, information regarding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and completion of college applications.
Even general classes such as English will be included. Post-secondary preparation such as practice responses to college admissions questions will become a part of the course requirements.
But the project goes one step further. Staff members will need to think differently as they take on new roles as well. For example, school counselors will become more of an advocate for their students.
In addition to encouraging students to take college prep courses, they will monitor their students’ progress in preparing for college. The counselors will not only track how their students are progressing, but can even take a hands-on approach. Drake says he envisions the times that a school counselor may pick up the phone to call university admissions departments to tout the qualifications and strengths of their students.
Drake is also committed to offering more Advanced Placement courses at the high school level, an online ACT Prep Course for high school students paid for by the school board and an SAT Prep Course. He said it is important for students to take both of these college admissions exams. He is also moving towards requiring all students to participate in service-learning as a requirement for graduation.
Drake realizes that not all students will go on to a four-year university. However, he is adamant that all students should be prepared for whatever their goal is. Whether four-year college, two-year college, technical college or a direct route into the work force, it is Drake’s mission to ensure that each student is prepared to answer the questions, “Where are you going?” and “What will you be doing after you walk across the graduation stage?”
Checklist for Success
Parents should make the following New Year’s resolutions to their students:
Create a "reading space" in your house.
Encourage reading by completing at least one book per semester just for fun.
Set up a START Account for your child.
Talk to your children often about their goals after high school.
Students should commit to these goals:
Whenever possible, get an extra hour of sleep each night.
Read at least one extra book each semester, just for the fun of it.
Take a class that pushes you beyond your comfort zone.
Make community service a natural part of your life.
Faculty and staff can help, too. Here’s how:
Encourage your students to think beyond elementary and secondary education.
Work to ensure that none of your students fall through the cracks. If someone is having problems, commit to making the extra effort to do all that you can to help them.
In order to help others, you must take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise more and get enough sleep.
Be a part of the Zachary School New Year’s Revolution!
To learn more about FAFSA, visit the website at http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/contact.html or contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243
To learn more about or to open a START Savings Program, visit the website at: http://www.osfa.state.la.us/START.html or contact by telephone at 1-800-259-5626 extension 1012.
By Pat Friedrich
On the first of January each year, millions of people begin the annual ritual of making New Year’s resolutions. It is the time of year for reflection. Folks look back upon the preceding year and forward to the new one. They resolve to do something different, to do something better.Health club memberships and diet programs soar in the following weeks while the sales of chocolate and alcohol decline as they are replaced by healthier food and drink. People take a long, hard look at what is important. It is “time for a new beginning.”
But what should be the New Year’s resolution for the Zachary Community School System? Things seem to be looking just fine.
Zachary School “Revolution”
In May, the School Board formally recognized and honored more than 50 students who achieved perfect scores on at least one subject area of the state's high stakes accountability tests. Scores on the first-time End-of-Course exam in Algebra I indicate Zachary has the highest percent of students in the state scoring in the “Excellent” category.
In November, the Zachary school system received an even greater honor. The Louisiana Department of Education released the 2008 School and District Performance Scores and ranked the Zachary Community School District as the best in the state for the fourth consecutive year.
The average 2008 score of students was 112.6 - a two-and-a-half point growth over last year. In fast, the most recent score was the highest that the Zachary Community School District has ever obtained.
“The Zachary Community School System is blessed to be number one,” Zachary School Superintendent Warren Drake said. “We have fantastic staffs at all of our schools. Our students are receptive and motivated.”
But the Superintendent believes that having the best academic schools in the state is not enough. He said the system must be willing to push beyond just what the state expects and take it to the next level.
“We must never stop looking for new challenges,” Drake said.
As the Superintendent reflected upon the school year and toward the next, he chose not to make a New Year’s resolution. Instead Drake decided to make a New Year’s revolution.
His goal and promise to the students and parents of the Zachary Community is to revolutionize and transform elementary and secondary education. He plans to take the culture of education to new heights.
Education for Life
Starting in January, the school system will begin to incorporate a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade post-secondary education initiative that Drake called “Journey to College and Career.” From this point forward, when students walk across the graduation stage they will not just be walking out of high school. They will be walking towards a very specific and planned out post-secondary life.
This dynamic, innovative and inclusive program will require systematic change in the way that parents, students and staff think. Even the youngest of the students will be affected. Beginning in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, students will see the use of college preparatory vocabulary imbedded into their daily school lessons.
START Saving
Parents will also learn about Louisiana’s Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust (START) Savings Program and will be encouraged to open up an account.
Administered by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA), START is a unique way to save for your children and grandchildren’s college tuition. Anyone can begin saving by opening up a savings account for college, called an Education Savings Account (ESA) on behalf of a named beneficiary. The account owners can save at their own pace, while still having the benefit of having their money professionally managed.
The START program goes even further by offering a greater incentive to save. As you deposit funds, the state of Louisiana will annually match a percentage of the deposits made to the account during the calendar year. This match is called an Earnings Enhancement. The State of Louisiana will match up to 14 percent of deposits each year.
The goal is to have every student enrolled by the start of third grade.
College Preparation
For middle and high school students, “Journey to College and Career” will include continued participation in the rigorous academic coursework required for a successful transition into college. It will also include the planning and process of completing necessary post-secondary applications.
By the time that they are seniors, students will have accumulated a career portfolio that includes everything required to transition into either some form of post-secondary education or workforce. This will include transcripts, information regarding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and completion of college applications.
Even general classes such as English will be included. Post-secondary preparation such as practice responses to college admissions questions will become a part of the course requirements.
But the project goes one step further. Staff members will need to think differently as they take on new roles as well. For example, school counselors will become more of an advocate for their students.
In addition to encouraging students to take college prep courses, they will monitor their students’ progress in preparing for college. The counselors will not only track how their students are progressing, but can even take a hands-on approach. Drake says he envisions the times that a school counselor may pick up the phone to call university admissions departments to tout the qualifications and strengths of their students.
Drake is also committed to offering more Advanced Placement courses at the high school level, an online ACT Prep Course for high school students paid for by the school board and an SAT Prep Course. He said it is important for students to take both of these college admissions exams. He is also moving towards requiring all students to participate in service-learning as a requirement for graduation.
Drake realizes that not all students will go on to a four-year university. However, he is adamant that all students should be prepared for whatever their goal is. Whether four-year college, two-year college, technical college or a direct route into the work force, it is Drake’s mission to ensure that each student is prepared to answer the questions, “Where are you going?” and “What will you be doing after you walk across the graduation stage?”
Checklist for Success
Parents should make the following New Year’s resolutions to their students:
Create a "reading space" in your house.
Encourage reading by completing at least one book per semester just for fun.
Set up a START Account for your child.
Talk to your children often about their goals after high school.
Students should commit to these goals:
Whenever possible, get an extra hour of sleep each night.
Read at least one extra book each semester, just for the fun of it.
Take a class that pushes you beyond your comfort zone.
Make community service a natural part of your life.
Faculty and staff can help, too. Here’s how:
Encourage your students to think beyond elementary and secondary education.
Work to ensure that none of your students fall through the cracks. If someone is having problems, commit to making the extra effort to do all that you can to help them.
In order to help others, you must take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise more and get enough sleep.
Be a part of the Zachary School New Year’s Revolution!
To learn more about FAFSA, visit the website at http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/contact.html or contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243
To learn more about or to open a START Savings Program, visit the website at: http://www.osfa.state.la.us/START.html or contact by telephone at 1-800-259-5626 extension 1012.
