Nomination
Principals will ask school administrators and faculty members (certificated personnel) to nominate in writing senior students for the honor of school Student of the Year. Principals also may nominate students. Those submitting nominees may nominate more than one student. Nominations should be based on:

The School System Superintendent appoints a coordinator for the District Students- of-the-Year program to serve as liaison among the State Department of Education, the school district, and schools and to facilitate selection of the District Students of the Year. District Students of the Year are chosen by a District Selection Committee appointed according to State Department of Education guidelines by the St. Tammany Parish Public School System Students of the Year Coordinator.

The selection process involves an evaluation of portfolios submitted by all school-level Students of the Year and interview of three students in each age category who are determined to be semifinalists after portfolio evaluation. The District Selection Committee utilizes the Louisiana State Department of Education guidelines and procedures for the State Students-of-the-Year program and Committee- devised interview questions in the selection process.

Nominations
The District Students of the Year coordinator will forward to all principals of schools with fifth, eighth, and twelfth grade students information about the Students- of-the-Year program. The coordinator will note at that time any additions or changes to State Department guidelines or district procedure from the previous year. The coordinator will seek clarification from the State Department for principals if needed.

School principals will follow the St. Tammany Parish Public School System Procedure for School Student of the Year Selection and the State Department of Education Guidelines for the Students-of-the-Year program to select a Student of the Year for each grade-eligible school. Schools having both fifth and eighth grades may choose a Student of the Year for each of the two grade categories. Principals will notify students of the deadline for submitting their portfolios to the System Students of the Year coordinator and the date on which interviews will be conducted for semifinalists at the district level.

Application and Portfolio
To be considered for district, regional, and state consideration, School Students of the Year must submit their completed application form and portfolio to the District Students of the Year coordinator by the deadline specified on the notification of selection deadlines and procedures the coordinator sends to school principals. School officials may assist students in delivering the portfolio packet through the School System courier or by personal delivery to the coordinator's office.

Selection
Each year the District Students of the Year coordinator will appoint a District Students of the Year selection committee following State Department of Education Guidelines. The District Students of the Year coordinator serves as a facilitator, outlining for the committee all guidelines and procedures, answering questions about the program and otherwise assisting committee members, notifying principals and students of results, and submitting winning portfolios to the Regional Students of the Year Selection Committee chair. The coordinator does not vote in the selection process.

The District Selection Committee will evaluate portfolios of school Students of the Year, using the evaluation guidelines established by the Louisiana State Department of Education in the process. From this process, the committee will choose the top three portfolios at each grade level and the students submitting them will be considered semifinalists. The committee will interview these semifinalists on the date listed in Students of the Year information sent to principals.

Questions for the interview will be formulated by the committee after the selection of semifinalists. Students must take part in the interview process during the day and time set aside for student interviews in order to be considered for District Student of the Year recognition. The committee will interview each student and choose the District Student of the Year for each grade level, based on an evaluation of the portfolio and the student interview.

The District coordinator will notify principals of winning students and the students unless the principal wishes to make student notification. The District coordinator will notify all other principals of the results, and principals will notify their Students of the Year of the District selection outcome.

Notification of Selection Procedure
Student of the Year selection procedures will be available for review at schools for anyone wishing to know about the process. The process will be included on the St. Tammany Parish Public School System web site and will be included in school handbooks beginning with the 2002-2003 school year.

Questions about Student Selection
Students or parents may direct questions about Student of the Year selection to the school principal or the School System Student of the Year coordinator.