While La Grande High School focuses on the success of all its students, this school year they have an increased emphasis on their freshmen students, the Class of 2029.
The Freshman on Track program identifies freshman students who are failing one or more of their classes. This year, those freshmen students are assigned a mentor/success coach to connect with them and help them improve their grades.
The mentors are core-freshmen LHS teachers, the two LHS counselors, Mindee Hayden, CTE Coordinator, Charlee Hubble, ASPIRE Coordinator, and a few other staff. Each mentor is assigned three to five students. They check in weekly with them, check grades, communicate with parents, help students navigate talking to other teachers and develop formal and informal plans to improve grades. The mentors have taken trainings this year from InterMountain ESD about the program.
Sam Fiorito, Assistant Principal at LHS, said the first semester of 25-26 for the program went really well, with a rate of 87% of freshmen on track to graduate, which was the goal. He said this is a big increase from the previous rate. “We are happy with the teacher support, the progress that has been made, and the fact that students are enjoying connecting with their mentors,” Fiorito said.
The Freshman on Track program is required by the Oregon Department of Education and is a goal in the LGSD Strategic Plan.
Statistics indicate that if high school freshmen earn six of the seven possible credits in their freshman year, they are twice as likely to graduate from high school.
The LHS Class of 2029 has 170 students.
