GOING FOR THE GRADE; SCHOOL PIONEERS PROGRAM TO INSPIRE STUDENTS' WORK.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Staff Writer

In what could be a first in Los Angeles Unified, academic powerhouse North Hollywood High is striving to help every ninth-grader achieve at least a C average by the end of the school year.

The school is working to do so by placing its 900 ninth-graders into small groups overseen by teacher-coaches who follow the students' scholastic progress.

Still in development, the program also promises to match underachievers with capable classmates and place struggling students in tutorial programs and Saturday school. Parents and community volunteers are part of the equation too.

``We need to help kids who are in the middle - the bashful, quiet youngster who doesn't flourish,'' said Principal John Hyland, whose passion for the project gives force to his usually quiet voice. ``They can flourish - it's just the institution that needs to be tweaked.''

Launched in September, many aspects of the program haven't been worked out. For example, Hyland isn't sure what consequences, if any, will befall youngsters who fail to earn at least a C average by the end of the year.

``This is a real pioneering effort,'' Hyland said. ``We're learning how to do this as we go.''

District officials said they aren't aware of another program like it.

``They're developing a model program,'' said Hector Madrigal, director of Pupil Services for the Los Angeles Unified School District. ``It seems like they're building in the ingredients to produce some positive results.''

Those involved with the program said they already see a difference in students' grades and, most importantly, their attitudes toward school.

``The kids have a responsibility to us and we have a responsibility to them,'' said Casey Browne, a den coach who has seen the number of unsatisfactory marks among his students plummet from a high of 43 to seven last month. ``We're tough on them. We expect a lot and they're expected to meet the challenge.''

In keeping with the school's mascot, the husky, the groups are called dens, and teachers, who volunteer their time and do not receive extra pay, are called den coaches.

And although it's too early to tell, campus administrators said fewer ninth-graders seem to be dropping out of school. Usually, 300 to 400 students drop out by the time they reach 10th grade.

``We don't have a lot of ninth-graders who are gone (at this point in the school year),'' Assistant Principal Vivian Pittman said. ``I think it's going to be very successful.''

Luis Moreno certainly is making every effort to attend school. The 14-year-old said the den meetings, which focus on personal responsibility as well as academic subjects such as study skills and test preparation, have made school a fun place to be.

``This class makes you want to come to school,'' Luis said, his body draped over a desk after a recent den meeting in which students learned about the dangers of sexual promiscuity and the importance of decision-making.

Under the program, ninth-graders are split into groups of 20 to 30 and meet weekly with a teacher who follows their progress through school and provides them with a shoulder on which to lean as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of high school.

Students don't earn grades for the meetings, which take place once a week during English classes to take advantage of low student-to-teacher ratios.

Each group also has one community volunteer and at least five parents who provide extra sets of ears for troubled youngsters. In addition, efforts are under way to form a group of parents who will visit the homes of parents struggling with rebellious teens.

The school's ultimate goal is to get every parent involved in their children's education.

``Our message is, you have to help out,'' Hyland said. ``It's very important that we have parents involved.''

Besides boosting students' grades, the program also seeks to produce independent thinkers capable of resisting negative pressures. Each den has five student team leaders who learn communication skills they use to reach out to peers struggling with emotional, social or academic issues.

``By the end of the school year, we want self-regulating, autonomous students who are able to stand on their own two feet,'' Hyland said.

Ana Juarez, 18, said she wished the program had been available when she was in ninth grade. Maybe then, the senior said, she wouldn't have failed freshman English three times.

``I wish I had the class in ninth grade - I could have made better decisions,'' said Juarez, who belongs to Browne's den and is seriously considering college for the first time in her life.

``I think about my future. I think about college,'' said Juarez, who recently requested admission applications from California State University, Northridge, and California State University, Long Beach. ``I feel more serious about my life.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo: (1 -- color) Ninth-graders Jose Saizar and Nestor Otero arrange to get help from 11th-grader Luz Gonzalez.

(2) Den coach Casey Browne congratulates a student on good work.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer