JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Each year in Mississippi thousands of children drop out of schools. Thursday night parents were the students, learning how they can help their kids stay in the classroom.
The United Way of the Capital Area sponsored a Dropout Prevention Town Hall Meeting at the Jackson Medical Mall. Students discussed the tools they need to finish high school, and organizers encouraged parents to begin preparing students for state tests that begin the first week in May.
Wingfields's assistant principal says the school has used a 5.2 million dollar grant to hire a graduation coach.
"The graduation coach is tracking those students who are falling behind, making sure they have an opportunity to participate in credit recovery, earn those credits they did not earn during the normal school year. So we want to make sure we give students several opportunities to earn enough credits so they can graduate on time," said Will Smith, Assistant Principal for Improvement at Wingfield High School in Jackson.
"We want parents to be aware of the state testing that will take place the first week of May and start to help their students prepare for it. Those tests in the high school grades are required for graduation so we want to ensure that all parents understand that and that all of our students are able to graduate," Shawna Davie of the United Way said.
Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Operation Shoestring, and America's Promise Alliance on Dropout Prevention teamed up with the United Way for this town hall meeting. Some schools have also sponsored Saturday Academy and tutoring to help students make the grade.
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