JA, city school district team to help pupils

YOUNGSTOWN — The city school district is enlisting the assistance of Junior Achievement of the Mahoning Valley to help elementary pupils perform better on the Ohio Achievement Test.

The local arm of Junior Achievement of the Mahoning Valley and the Youngstown city schools have formed a partnership that will bring JA programs to the district’s fourth- and fifth-graders.

The plan is to be unveiled today at Taft Elementary School.

The idea was developed by Yvonne Lipinsky, supervisor of social studies for the city schools, who determined that the JA program could be of benefit to pupils after a large percentage of fifth-graders had difficulty passing the economic standard portion of the Ohio Achievement Test in spring 2007.

The Junior Achievement program corresponds directly with the state requirement in the economic standards curriculum, said Michele Merkel, president of Junior Achievement of the Mahoning Valley.