Governor Perdue Announces Middle School Graduation Coaches

Governor Perdue Announces Middle School Graduation Coaches

Every Georgia Middle School will Receive Graduation Coach to Keep At-Risk Students on Track

MARIETTA, Ga. – Building on the highly acclaimed High School Graduation Coach Initiative introduced earlier this year, Governor Sonny Perdue announced today a proposal to place a graduation coach in each of Georgia’s 450 middle schools by fall 2007.

“We must reach students who are at risk for dropping out of school earlier in their academic careers,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “We want to make a positive impact on these kids before they develop behaviors and encounter challenges that will cause them to lag behind their peers.”

The purpose of the Middle School Graduation Coach Initiative is to:

• Complement the work of the high school graduation coaches;
• Begin career exploration with students at an earlier age;
• Inform parents and students regarding the impact of middle school grades on high school placement and achievement;
• Provide students with guidance in selecting high school courses;
• Connect with high school graduation coaches during the transition to high school; and
• Provide students with tutoring and extra academic assistance as needed to pass the eighth grade gateway tests.

High school graduation coaches started work this fall. There are currently 336 coaches working in Georgia high schools. Governor Perdue recommended $21 million in the FY07 budget for the high school program. He will recommend $20 to $25 million starting with the FY08 budget to fund the middle school graduation coaches.

In only a few months, Georgia high school graduation coaches have already:

• Identified 40,000 high school students who are credit deficient and not on schedule to graduate with their class;
• Identified 46,000 students as having missed 15 or more days of school during the previous school year;
• Assessed at-risk students’ academic performance and risk factors;
• Helped more than 18,000 students develop an individual graduation plan (Peach State Pathways Plan);
• Matched students with more than 1,500 community mentors in place to work with students; and
• Organized tutoring, mentoring and credit recovery programs for students.

“We are astounded at how our high school graduation coaches have taken their charge to heart,” said Governor Perdue. “We’re challenging them to find each student in school who needs an extra push towards graduation and these coaches have responded eagerly with measurable results.”

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