An outstanding high school breaks the logjam of mediocrity - Captain Shreve High School

American Education, June, 1984 by Henrietta Wexler

In 1833 Captain Henry Miller Shreve of Louisiana found a way to break up a great raft of floating debris on the Red River in the northwest corner of the state. This opened the river for transportation westward, as well as southeastward across the state where it joined the Mississippi. On the shores of that historic logjam, a proud city arose. Shreveport is now the second largest city in Louisiana.

A century and a half later, Captain Shreve High School in that city is helping to break up the logjam of mediocrity in which American education has been mired. Founded in 1967, the school was cited in 1983 by President Reagan for being one of the outstanding high schools in the nation.

Captain Shreve draws students of all socioeconomic levels from a rich oil and gas-producing area. It also serves the children of nearby Barksdale Air Force Base personnel. The makeup of the school is 57 percent white and 43 percent black, with a smattering of Hispanic and Asian students.

Shreveport pride can be heard in the voice of the school's principal, Sandra McCalla, the first woman to hold such a position in a Louisiana parish: "We're the school that initiates innovative programs in the district. We're a charter member of the high school section of the College Board. We have advanced placement courses in several subjects, and honors level classes in English, math, science, and social studies. Since 1970 we've had a program in FORTRAN, the computer language, using terminal connections to an IBM mainframe. And we have teachers teaming up to combine American history classes with English III."

Principal McCalla and Assistant Principal Don Horton, in charge of Discipline and Administration, credit the school's success to a fortuitous blend of parent involvement, faculty harmony, student acceptance of discipline, and community involvement.

Parent involvement

Parents say they feel comfortable about calling the principal at school--or even at home--if they need to discuss a problem. They appreciate, too, the efforts of an attendance clerk who monitors absences closely, calling the home of each absentee on the day of the absence. This close monitoring of absences is largely credited with the achievement of one of the highest attendance and lowest drop-out rates in Louisiana.

With 1,050 PTA members for a student body of 1,500, Captain Shreve's active PTA chapter is the largest in the state. Each student addresses to his home a copy of the PTA's quarterly publication, The Gator-Aid. The two-pager provides all parents with a calendar of school events, information about special courses, clubs, school exams, and achievement tests.

Handbooks for students and teachers

The school's Handbook for Students opens with the same introduction as does its Handbook for Teachers: It is the school's philosophy of education. The first objective: to instill ideals and attitudes in students in keeping with their democratic heritage; the second: to emphasize mastery of basic skills and provide enrichment programs for advanced learning; and finally, to recognize each student as unique.

The students' handbook appears to cover everything a newcomer could want to know about the school. A section headed "What to Do in Case . . ." spells out clearly the procedure to be followed in contingencies ranging from tornado drills to lost books. Special school programs are described in detail, as are all school courses and co-curricular activities. The handbook looks more like a college catalog, with courses running the gamut from Latin to computer sciences to auto mechanics. A student conduct code clarifies just what actions will result in mandatory suspensions and which in discretionary ones. The dress code leaves little to be uncertain about: "Headwear or hair rollers are prohibited in the building." The attendance policy is equally clear: "Attendance of fewer than 80 days per course per semester will result in failure to receive credit for the course."

In the Handbook for Teachers, the formal policy on homework minces no words: Teachers are to "assign homework appropriate to grade level, subject matter, and ability grouping. . . . It must not be given as busywork or punishment. It must be reasonable in quantity and equitable in terms of student load. A record of all homework is to be recorded in the teacher's grade book with an indication of its evaluation."

An atmosphere of discipline

The school's Detention Room, in use since 1980, is not so penal as its name implies. It is merely a quiet place where minor offenders and tardy students must spend 45 minutes after school, studying or doing homework. For most offenders sent there, says Assistant Principal Horton, this short exile operates as an effective deterrent, since they would of course prefer to spend the time from 2:25 to 3:15 socializing with friends. Suspension, says Horton, is resorted to only after conferences with teachers, parents, and guidance counselors have failed to produce a change in behavior.