RESERVE – More students who enter the ninth grade in St. John the Baptist Parish are earning a diploma in the traditional four-year time frame, according to a report recently issued by the Louisiana Department of Education.

In fact, West St. John High School has a 95.0 Cohort Graduation Rate, which is one of the state’s highest performers.

The 2007 Cohort Graduation Rate is one of several calculations that states are required to report as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The state’s report listed the 2007 rates for all public high schools in the state, and it calculated the average for every parish as compared to the prior year.

Superintendent Dr. Courtney P. Millet said her administration recently placed a Graduation Coach at East St. John High to assist students in staying “on track” for timely completion of their prep education. At West St. John High, students have access to the school counselor and a part-time outreach liaison to assist with ACT preparation, college application process and funding applications.

“We are providing more assistance to our high school students to help them stay in school and to complete their work on time. It’s important that we keep all our students focused and engaged in their education. Our goal is for every student to earn a diploma and to pursue a meaningful career or higher education after high school,” Millet said.

St. John the Baptist Parish’s district-wide Cohort Graduation Rate improved 8.9 points, making it the one of the most-improved districts in this category. Only St. James Parish had a higher growth rate, with a 9.8-point improvement.

The overall graduation rate for St. John the Baptist Parish in 2007 was 65.6. West St. John High had a 95.0 rate and East St. John had a 64.8 rate to create that average.