The agreement is for Southern's Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs to provide the Early Start program to qualifying students at Pointe Coupee Central.

Early Start is an online distance learning program geared toward preparing high school students for college.The program is online and free. Students will be able to earn up to six college credit hours per year, three per semester.The subjects taught are English, math, science, reading, and preparation to take college entrance tests.

A junior at Pointe Coupee could wind up needing only three years to graduate from college under the partnership with Southern.

"This is a great opportunity for Southern University to be partner with an organization helping to build a better education model for Louisiana students," said William Arp, dean of the Mandela School. "No doubt this program will be beneficial to the students and the Pointe Coupee Central community."

"We are extremely excited about partnering with Southern University to bring the Early Start Program to our school," said Kathryn Rice, principal of Pointe Coupee Central. "It will give our students the opportunity to choose college today, not after they graduate."

In May 2008, Advance Baton Rouge, in partnership with the Louisiana Recovery District, was awarded the charter of Pointe Coupee Central, considered at the time a chronically poor performing school.

"It is only through strong partnerships with strong, historical post secondary institutions like Southern University that we will be able to have sustainable improvement in education," said Henry Shepard, CEO of Advance Baton Rouge."I am certain that this is the first of several partnerships we will have with Southern University to close the achievement gap in our communities."