Golden looks high for STARS opportunities
By ANDY GOLDEN JISD STARS Director

The STARS program and staff have had a busy summer.

In June, we hosted TAKS tutorials for Jasper High School and STARS students in preparation for the TAKS re-test in July.

Now we are looking forward to a new school year and the opportunities it will bring to the students who are enrolled at the STARS campus.

The STARS campus provides an alternative academic program focusing on dropout recovery and dropout prevention. The goal of the campus is to enable students caught in at-risk situations to graduate with a high school diploma.

This accomplishment prepares the student to become a productive citizen whether it is by enrolling at a college, junior college, technical school, or participating in on the job training.

The setting of the STARS campus is quite different from that of the traditional high school. Students must attend a minimum of four hours per day five days a week. The morning class meets from 8 a.m. - noon, the afternoon class meets from noon - 4 p.m.

Individualized, self-paced curriculum allows for acceleration as well as improvement in student achievement. The staff is dedicated to helping students who have difficulty succeeding in a traditional high school setting to achieve their educational and vocational goals.

To be considered for the STARS program, a student must be between 16 and 21 years of age, possess the maturity necessary to benefit from a self-paced curriculum, and meet one or more of the state definitions of "at-risk." No student is placed at the campus.

Acceptance to the STARS campus is the director's decision. This is based upon the desire of the student to complete the requirements for a high school diploma, the commitment to regular attendance and the student's willingness to cooperate with the STARS faculty and staff. Enrollment is limited.

To know more about the JISD STARS program call me, Andy Golden, at 384- 2720.