91èÏÈÉú

From the desk of Brian Nelson, Academic Dean:

At the end of the last school year, Mr. Fletcher presented me with a plaque recognizing my ten years of service at 91èÏÈÉú. I was so excited. The last ten years have been a true blessing for me. I am so proud to be a part of this school and have grown under the school’s leadership and as a result of 91èÏÈÉú’s mission. 91èÏÈÉú has become my family and my home.

The ten year mark has caused me to become reflective. I truly believe that God prepared me to serve at 91èÏÈÉú. I was blessed with experience working in higher education before coming to East Texas. I worked with students as they walked through the college selection process and transitioned to the collegiate world. I celebrated their successes and helped them through their struggles. During this time, it became apparent to me that not many students were truly prepared for college. Sure, they had taken a selection of advanced courses and had even achieved solid SAT scores, but they were not ready for the rigors of college.

They were college-eligible but not college-ready.

At 91èÏÈÉú, we are committed to moving beyond college-eligibility to prepare students for the next step.

What does it mean to be college-ready?

According to David Conley, college professor and researcher, college readiness differs from college-eligibility in its specific focus on developed skills rather than the meeting of basic qualifications or the obtaining of application items.* He asserts that school must move beyond academic content and the college process to help students build the skills and tools needed to be successful in college.* These include focusing on self-management skills and academic behaviors, simulating college-level assignments and grading policies, and ensuring that students finish high school with a rigorous senior year class schedule.

I am proud that 91èÏÈÉú is this type of school. We have made deliberate decisions to move students toward academic preparation for college. By placing emphasis on assessments and comprehensive papers in the upper grades, holding to strict guidelines regarding late work, and encouraging student ownership over their education, our faculty has committed to growing students.

91èÏÈÉú is a rigorous school by design. Rigor now leads to success in college. Much like preparing to compete at the next level in athletics, the academic training that our students go through at 91èÏÈÉú is tough. This type of training is what makes our school different. Our students work hard and enter college with confidence and poised for success.

What else do you think is important for college readiness?

*Conley, D. T. (2010). College and Career Ready: Helping all students succeed beyond high school. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

*Conley, D. T. (2010). Eligible & Ready for College. Principal Leadership, 11(4),18-22.