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'We Believed:'Donaldsonville Highstudents celebratehigher state grade;scores 17 points higherBY ELLYN COUVILLION |ECOUVILLION@THEADVOCATE.COMNOV 26, 2017 - 1:12 PM (0)

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Ellyn Couvillion

DONALDSONVILLE — When DonaldsonvilleHigh School learned it had earned a stateletter grade of B this year, it didn't let theachievement go by unnoticed.

On the Thursday before Thanksgiving break,students went by the gym after lunch to pickup a special dessert of ice cream andcupcakes, baked by the school's culinary artstudents and iced in a choice of school colors,red or black.

The dessert spread was set up on a tableunder a banner that read, "We Believed."

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Before they left, each student paused for aminute to let a faculty member put a silverneck chain over their head, in an almostcoronationlike gesture, bearing a tag printedwith the pertinent information:Donaldsonville High, 2016-17 and the school'sscore of 87.3.

That's an increase of 17 points from just threeyears ago. It was the second time the schoolearned a B since the state started gradingschools.

"We did it, you know," senior Nancy Gonzalessaid of her and her fellow students'achievement. "We're the best."

The school has had a C for the last four years.In the 2011-12 school year, it earned a B,coming up from a D that it had held forseveral years running.

The year 2011-12 was also the year the highschool, which previously served grades seventhrough 12, became a more traditional highschool, serving grades nine through 12.

A mostly steady climb in grade points began10 years ago when the Ascension Parish highschool became the first in the district to putinto place a national program, the TeacherAdvancement Program, that provides masterand mentor teachers and other features toimprove teachers' skills and studentachievement.

"The Tigers have been on the road to a B forquite some time now," Superintendent DavidAlexander said.

At Donaldsonville High, with a studentpopulation of 450, the principal, associateprincipal and two assistant principals alsospend time in the classrooms, sometimesteaching, sometimes helping students on aone-on-one basis.

"We tend to term it, 'All hands on deck,' "Principal Marvin Evans said. "The No. 1 thing ishuman capital."

A top challenge at the school is studentreading level, he said.

"The average ninth-grader is on the fifth- andsixth-grade reading level," Evans said, addingthat the school district is talking about hiringa reading interventionist for the school.

Part of the difficulty for students living in acity with a high rate of unemployment is alack of access to early childhood learning,Evans said.

The city of approximately 7,000 residents hasone licensed day care, he said. The schooldistrict's state and federally funded HeadStart program for children ages 2-3 serves 267students.

"The way we overcome it is being a TAPschool," Evans said.

"I can't just find anyone that has a teachingdegree. I have to find someone that'scommitted."

The school's stated vision is that "studentswill graduate college- and career-ready with aquality diploma," Evans said.

With an 86 percent graduation rate, higherthan the state average of 77 percent,Donaldsonville High students are reachingthat goal, he said.

"It's allowing students to escape the poverty,"Evans said.

"Students are taking ownership of their ownlearning and progression through highschool," Assistant Principal Michael Hiltonsaid.

As she left the gym with her celebratorydessert two days away from the holiday break,freshman Lenyon Johnson said, "A lot ofpeople talk down about Donaldsonville Highand say we can't do it, but we did it."

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Buy NowDonaldsonville High School seniorNancy Gonzalez, left, hands outcelebratory cupcakes which she helped make forthe occasion. DHS got its second B score in 10years from the state this fall. The schoolcelebrated with cake and ice cream after lunchThursday Nov. 16, 2017, in Donaldsonville, La..ADVOCATE STAFF PHOTO BY BILL FEIG

Mia Edwards, Director of High Schoolsfor Ascension Parish, makes a pointabout the grade. Donaldsonville High got itssecond B score in 10 years from the state thisfall. The school celebrated with cake and icecream after lunch Thursday Nov. 16, 2017, inDonaldsonville, La..ADVOCATE STAFF PHOTO BY BILL FEIG

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