Coe-Brown
Academy is unique among New Hampshire high schools in providing small-group study
support to students during school hours under the daily direction of a full-time
coordinator.
Assisted
study groups are small, to permit individualized attetion, so students with the
most pressing needs are placed first. Admission into a study group requires participation
in structured activities designed to encourage the timely completion of school
work and more thorough preparation for class. The willingness of each student
to participate is important, because selecting one student sometimes displaces
another and also because uncooperative behavior can have negative effects on other
members of the study group.
Time
in Assisted Study is spent on homework, term papers and special projects. Teachers
may also send quizzes and tests to Assisted Study if they were missed due to absence
or not completed within the time available for that purpose in class. Through
structure and daily feedback, Assisted Study reinforces the positive behaviors
of concentration, attention to detail, staying on task, tracking improvement and
taking pride in work well done. On an ongoing basis, Mr. Lacroix reviews completed
and graded work noting where improvements are needed and explaining why it is
important to do things well. On average, seventy percent of assisted study students
completed a full year in the program or are successfully transferred to independent
study after some period of assistance.
Placement
decisions for Assisted Study are made by guidance counselors based on an individual
analysis of student needs, but referrals may originate fom teachers, parent, or
students themselves. Guidance counselors consider a student's academic potential
in comparison to their school performance and the benefits likely to be gained
from individual help with study skills, organizational skills, and structured
support. Students receiving Special Education services are not referred to Assisted
Study, but are provided with similar support within the Special Education Department.