Special programs ensure low dropout rate

Special programs ensure low dropout rate

Written by Rachel Youens Thursday, 07 December 2006

When you look at Texas Education Agency’s accountability ratings, one of the most consistent trends in any district is a slump in the scores of high schools. In the same district where elementary and middle schools are rated “recognized” and “exemplary”, high schools consistently drop to a rating of “acceptable.”

One of the factors behind the lower high school ratings is the student completion rate, which is only factored into the score of secondary schools. No Pflugerville high school and only one Round Rock high school have received higher than the acceptable rating, but both districts are trying to ensure no student has an excuse to drop out. Round Rock’s Success program and Pflugerville’s PACE program are alternative schools that target students in danger of not graduating, or have dropped out but want to return and finish.

With a student/teacher ratio of 12/1 versus the average classroom ratio of about 23/1, the RRISD Success program gives students individualized lessons and personal attention. Each must pass a review process that spans their educational career, because schools can host only about 130 students at a time. For those who are accepted, however, the graduation rate is nearly 97 percent.

“In today’s world even a student who has a GED faces a lot of competition,” Success Assistant Principal Carol Koehler said. “Between a dropout and someone with a diploma, it’s pretty clear who that employer is going to go with.”

Success also addresses TAKS scores, another factor in both low TEA ratings and students’ failure to complete high school. Students must pass all four areas of the TAKS test in order to graduate and getting over this hump keeps some from finishing. Success students can have daily individual TAKS tutoring.

Nothing about the curriculum is different for alternative graduation students. They still graduate with a standard high school diploma. Students have a shorter class day and can graduate almost any month of the year.

“Many of our students have left school, dropped out, and worked for a while and suddenly they realize how hard it is out there,” Koehler said. “Those kids are often our best students.”

The Pflugerville District has their own equivalent to the Success program with PACE, which works with students who have fallen out of their grade sequence, and helps them to catch up and graduate, usually with their own class.

“There are lots of reasons a student can end up at PACE,” Barbara Booth, PISD’s special education director said. “Maybe their attendance wasn’t good because they had a bad year and something was going on in their life. Some are expecting parents, both mothers and fathers. Many students have full-time jobs.”

PACE addressed some students’ time restraints by offering two sessions daily, one from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and one from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students who are working can use their work hours as their elective credits, helping them to stay on track toward graduation.

“When you fall behind and get out of age sequence with your original class, it’s hard to go back to high school and be around students much younger than you,” Booth said. “At PACE, we just want them to catch up and go to college as quickly as possible.”

High School Graduation Rates

Completion rate tracks the progress of a whole class of students through their high school career. New students who transfer in are added to the statistic and those who transfer out are subtracted. At the end of the year each student is classified as either graduated, received GED, continuing on in high school or dropped out.

At risk: Students identified as at risk for dropping out of school based on criteria such as if the student is pregnant, on parole, has failed to advance through a grade, has failed two or more subjects, is of limited English proficiency or is homeless.

PISD 2005-06 -district performance

• Class of 2005 completion rate:
  • 85% graduated
  • 4% received a GED
  • 9% continued with more high school
  • 2% dropped out
  • 74.2% of “at risk” students graduated

RRISD 2004-05 -district performance

• Class of 2004 completion rate: (2005 statistics not available)
  • 88.9% graduated
  • 3.4% received a GED
  • 6.2% continued with more high school
  • 1.5% dropped out
  • 64.3% of “at risk” students graduated

Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/