By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

EDGARD – In the quiet west bank enclave of Edgard, two schools are causing quite a stir.

Over the past few years, West St. John High School and its grammar school equivalent down the street, West St. John Elementary School, have shown steady academic improvement, far outpacing many of their east bank counterparts.

West St. John High recently made the pages of U.S. News and World Report when it was named one of “America’s Best High Schools,” a distinction shared by only 31 schools across the state. The school received a bronze medal ranking from the publication based on a number of factors including class offerings, standardized test scores and college credits earned by graduating students.

Principal Erica Merrick was quick to give due credit regarding the ranking. “I think the ranking has come as a result of the group of teachers we have. … They’re always putting things into place to make sure the students are successful,” she said.

At West St. John Elementary, which saw its school performance score rise by 8.8 points — a 10-percent increase — Principal Gail Creecy likewise credits the hard work of her staff.

“I think the most important thing is the faculty is on one accord,” she said.

According to Creecy, her staff often gives up their lunch periods and stay after school to live up to the school’s motto of “United We Stand By Doing Whatever It Takes.” That includes coming in for Saturday tutoring — a program that has been even more successful than Creecy imagined. Last weekend, the first of the carnival season, about 75 students showed up to take advantage of the program.

She also believes one of the school’s strengths is the way it has managed to incorporate both old and new teaching styles into a cohesive whole.

A similar tactic has worked at the high school, where a number of Teach For America teachers have brought new ideas and perspectives to the faculty.

Each school has also benefited from outside assessments.

In 2008, West St. John High received a technical visit from High Schools That Work, a national initiative that sets up guidelines for the improvement of schools. Based on the assessment the school implemented a number of changes that Merrick feels have added to the school’s success.

At the elementary school, Dr. Cliff St. Germain analyzes the school’s test scores and uses the results to shape instruction.

But perhaps what has made the most marked difference in the schools is the development of relationships between students, parents, teachers and the community.

West St. John Elementary holds monthly parent breakfast meetings and PTO meetings. “We can keep the community and family aware of what’s going on with the kids,” said Creecy.

Also, by giving students incentives, such as quarterly awards ceremonies, students are pushed to want succeed academically. According to Creecy, “It motivates them to continue to want to do well.”

Meanwhile at the high school, although Merrick also acknowledges the importance of building and maintaining strong ties with parents and the community as a whole, relationship building there has evolved, based partially on recommendations from the High Schools That Work initiative.

“We realized you have to build a relationship with the students,” said Merrick.

By restructuring the disciplinary system to save the harshest penalties for major infractions, Merrick believes the school has taken a major step toward achieving its aims.

“The goal is to have kids in class more,” she explained.

Despite the accomplishments and accolades, Merrick is not one to rest on her laurels.

“We still have a long way go,” she said but added she believes she has the people in place — such as her administrative staff of Assistant Principal Stacy Bradford, Master Teacher Belinda Bailey and Guidance Counselor Vernadine Kelly — to make it to the top.

“We want a gold (medal ranking). We want to be up there with Benjamin Franklin next time.”