Cedar Shoals High School has been awarded a $135,000 Graduates Ready to Attain Success in Post-Secondary Success (GRASP) Grant from the Georgia Department of Education for the 2024-25 school year. GRASP aims to support selected Georgia high schools as they work with students to "own" their learning, increase their academic success, complete postsecondary programs, and productively participate in the workforce.

This is the second year that Cedar Shoals has been awarded the grant, which provides funding for one additional school counselor to support a caseload of at-risk students, removing life and educational barriers to achieve academic success, personal/social growth, and career development. Dr. Angela Thomas, who serves as Cedar Shoals’ GRASP counselor, will also be part of the school-based Student Review Team, which is composed of various student support staff members. The team will work collaboratively to develop interventions and/or identify resources for students on the GRASP caseload to help eliminate barriers to academic progression and graduation.

“Through the use of personalized goal setting, programs of study, and graduation plans, students will be able to see the impact their voice has on taking ownership of their education,” said Veronica Johnson, Director of School Counseling and Social-Emotional Learning for CCSD. “The GRASP counselor will continue to implement intensive individualized mentoring, subject-specific tutoring, and academic assistance specifically toward completing credit recovery programs.”

Students will be identified for the program based on several factors including number of credits earned, attendance, and progress on credit recovery program. The GRASP counselor will use a student-centered approach in implementing new interventions in conjunction with other systems of support already in place. In August, the GRASP counselor will work with ninth-grade students and caregivers by hosting workshops, “Parent Night” events, and student “lunch-and-learn” sessions. 

One of the goals of the program is to support caregivers in understanding their roles in supporting their students' needs and overall academic success. The GRASP Counselor will also work with faculty/staff to gain their support in an effort to facilitate additional student support services within the classroom setting throughout the school year and attend parent meetings and weekly student advisement sessions to better understand the needs for supporting the whole child.  

In March of 2025, the GRASP Counselor will collaborate with Cedar Shoals’ feeder middle school counselors to begin transitioning at-risk rising ninth-graders to high school.