As the date draws near for moving to a new building, the board of Crocker Arts and Technology School is addressing critical issues, including the student performance score.

At the their monthly meeting, Dec. 10, board members discussed what needs to happen in the next few months before the school moves from a few bocks from 1111 Milan Street to Gen. Taylor Street.

Board members were particularly interested in addressing Crocker’s school performance score.  This year, Crocker scored 13 points below par.

“By May we need to be at a 75, right now we are at a 62,” Grisela Jackson, the board’s chairwoman, said.

According to Charamine Robertson, principal of Crocker and a member of the board, the school’s goal is to get parents more involved as a strategy for improving attendance, standardized test scores and student grades.

Crocker has begun phoning parents to combat low attendance.  According to Robertson, when students are absent or tardy their parents are immediately contacted to see why.

“They don’t want that phone call,” Robertson said.

Since the implementation of the phone call system, Crocker has enjoyed a 95% attendance rate, a big improvement over last year, Robertson and Jackson said.

Based on that success, Crocker plans further interaction among parents, students  and Crocker staff.

Robertson reported that Crocker will mandate daily tutoring sessions for students who need to improve academically.  Tutoring will be held Monday-Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Lack of transportation after the tutoring sessions will require parents to take an extra step to help their children improve, Robertson said.

Crocker also intends to have a meeting with each student and his or her parents to discuss the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program test, and the integrated Louisiana Educational Assessment Program test.

At the meeting, the student’s previous scores will be addressed, goals will be set for the upcoming tests and ways to prepare will be discussed. Robertson said most parents do not understand the importance of the LEAP

and iLEAP scores for the school. The school’s performance score should improve as a result of parental involvement, she said. “Our parents love this school and they want their kids here,” Robertson said.