Help Your Child’s Education With Free Programs From Bossier Schools

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Recently we had an article right here on this website that essentially highlighted an educational deficiency here in Louisiana. And not all of the issues can be attributed to the past year's pandemic.

The story points out that only 46% of all Louisiana third graders can actually read at the third grade level. That's less than half. Considering that Louisiana State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Cade Brumley, says that the third grade is a critical time for students, as those who have not mastered their English and Language Arts are nearly four times as likely to drop out of school at some point.

If this concerns you like it has me, considering the pandemic certainly didn't help in regards to these children's education, you might want to give your child an extra helping of education and Bossier Parish Schools are doing what they can to provide you with some assistance.

I know this will sound like a couple of dirty words, but they could be the best thing for your child at this point. And those words are "Summer School."

Before you totally disengage, just look what they are offering. And this isn't just for third graders. There is literally a little something for all students.

Bossier Schools will have multiple summer learning programs to help address lost learning, promotion and placement decision-making and graduation requirements. These programs are at no cost to Bossier Parish students. Parents interested in registering their child for any of these summer programs should contact their school counselor unless otherwise noted below.

● Virtual Summer Learning Program: Students in grades 5-12 who have not successfully completed a course will have the opportunity to recover that course through more compact, but high-quality virtual instruction. This program will help students stay on track with their peers and assist them in closing learning gaps. DATES: June 1-28, 2021 (MON-THUR)

● Hybrid CTE Summer Learning Program: Students who were enrolled in the NCCER Electrical and EMT courses will have the opportunity to attend a summer training session at Bossier Parish School for Technology and Innovative Learning (BPSTIL) designed to further their training in these fields. EMT students will attend a "skills boot camp" prior to testing for their industry certification. NCCER Electrical students will be working on completing any IBEW modules needed toward apprenticeship requirements. DATES: Both classes will be held from 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. MON-THURS, June 1-4. For more information, contact Amanda.Sedberry@BossierSchools.org.

● Accelerate Summer Learning Program: Students in grades PreK-5 who are identified as requiring intensive assistance will be offered face-to-face instruction to address “unfinished learning.” Cluster sites will be at: Apollo ES, Bellaire ES, Central Park ES, Curtis ES, Haughton ES, Kingston ES, Meadowview ES, Plain Dealing ES & R.V. Kerr ES) DATES: June 7 through July 1, 2021 (MON-THUR)

● Jumpstart Summers: will enable up to 200 students with disabilities in grades 9-12 to master essential workplace skills, engage with industry experts, earn a summer wage and attain industry-valued credentials. Students attending one of two sessions will gain experiences that lead to credentials and a deeper understanding of the work they can do within different Jump Start pathways. Students will receive bus transportation from centralized locations in the parish. Those attending at least 15 of 18 sessions and attempting all credentialing exams will receive a stipend of $300. DATES: Session 1 will be held from 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. MON-THURS, June 1-30 at Bossier Parish School for Technology and Innovative Learning (BPSTIL) and Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC); Session 2: 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. MON-THURS, July 5-29 at Airline High School and BPCC. For more information, contact zac.burson@bossierschools.org or (318) 426-4683.

● Summer Blast: is a learning program offered to McKinney-Vento and foster care children attending Bossier Schools in K-5th grades. Summer Blast provides children with the free opportunity to enhance their math, science and reading skills during the four-week hands-on program and includes enrichment activities and field trips. All supplies and materials are provided, as well as bus transportation to and from announced drop-off locations and breakfast, lunch and snacks. Host site is at Bossier Elementary. DATES: Monday-Thursday, June 7-July 1. Seating is limited and first-come, first-served. Apply at www.bossierschools.org/homelessmigrantliaison

● LEAP 2025 Remediation & Retesting: Grades 9-12 students who scored unsatisfactory on LEAP 2025 in ALG I, GEO, ENG I, ENG II, BIOS, or US HIST will be offered the chance for face-to-face remediation and retesting. (Cluster sites: Bossier HS, Parkway HS, & Benton HS) DATES: June 7- 24, 2021 (MON-THUR)

● Real-time Early Access to Literacy (REAL): This program provides students in grades PreK-3rd early literacy support. Eligible students will receive one-on-one virtual support from Quest Testing Services through virtual tutoring sessions. Eligible schools: Bossier ES, Central Park ES, Meadowview ES, Platt ES, RV Kerr ES, & Waller ES) DATES: Offered YEAR-ROUND for the next 3 years and possibly beyond

● Quest Testing Services: Accelerate Tutoring: Available to all PreK-12 students with no restrictions. To effectively address and prevent unfinished learning, students must be provided with extra time to learn through equal-access tutoring. Accelerate is a just-in-time tutoring model focused on identifying, celebrating and building upon the assets students bring to the learning experience. An acceleration approach addresses unfinished learning in an equitable way. Acceleration means connecting unfinished learning in the context of new learning, integrating new information and the needed prior knowledge. DATES: Offered YEAR-ROUND