School heads eye improving graduate rates

When the New York State Department of Education announced graduation rates last week, local superintendents said the numbers didn't tell the whole story.

While the Gloversville Enlarged School District showed a drop from a 65 percent graduation rate in 2006 to 59 percent in 2007, the Mayfield Central School District showed a rise from 75 percent in 2006 to 88 percent in 2007. The lowest rate of local school districts was the Oppenheim-Ephratah Central School District at 52 percent in 2007.

The statewide rate was announced at 69 percent.

"It's more complex than that," Gloversville Superintendent Rob DeLilli said. "We have 9 percent [Individual Education Plan] students added to that number, and 14 percent late graduation students still enrolled, which brings the total closer to 70 percent."

DeLilli said that even if viewed at 70 percent graduation, the numbers needed to be improved.

"[The numbers] still need to increase," he said. "There are community factors, like truancy, that are an on-going battle. We're trying to be creative."

DeLilli said that over time, there should be more improvement.

"There's no magic wand," he said.

DeLilli said the numbers tend to even out. He said although the regular graduation numbers were higher (68 percent) in 2005, there were fewer late graduations.

Even so, he said changes needed to be made.

One new program DeLilli said would help bring graduation rates up and make graduates more employable is the Business Education Alliance, which is a coordinated effort between local schools and businesses to market the importance of finishing school.

"The Business Education Alliance is an excellent venture," DeLilli said. "Some of the business concerns aren't with academics though, they are more concerned with workers who will show up on time and present technical and human or social skills that seem to be missing in society today."

In the Oppenheim-Ephratah Central School District, Superintendent Dan Russom agreed with DeLilli that the state numbers didn't tell the whole story and that the process of improvement was slow.

"When we looked at the completion rate at a school board meeting two years ago, we saw how many students we lost between grades nine and 10 and came up with a plan of action," he said.

Russom said they decided to make the junior-high level more of a middle-school level and "beef up resources."

"Our goal was to get ninth graders better prepared," he said.

Russom said the emphasis had to be on better preparation for earlier grades of students so they would stay engaged in the education process.

"We hope that will transfer to the students being more engaged in high school," he said.

Russom also said the school was trying to prepare students for the future.

"We are looking to prepare our children for jobs that aren't here yet," he said. "As part of our building project, we are upgrading technology and adding on-line classes. We are doing everything we can think of."

Russom agreed with DeLilli that all schools were fighting similar battles.

"Our goal is the same as everyone elses," he said. "We're trying to change the mindsets of the children. They are digital learners today. We have to have diversity in learning."

Russom said by preparing children earlier, they should be ready to do well and finish high school.

"We have to hold the students and their parents accountable as well," he said. "That may include calling in the parents and, in some cases, even calling social services."

Russom said with the small numbers of students at his school - averaging 24 graduates per year - a small fluctuation appeared to cause a big percentage change.

"Our numbers are so small, even one student makes a big difference," he said.

Richard Nilsen is a general assignment reporter and can be reached at ga@leaderherald.com.

Member Comments

View Comments: | 1-11 | Post a comment

candlelady
08-20-08 7:45 AM »Report Abuse	All of these posts are right. I believe it truly does start at home. Parents need to turn off the tv, take away the electronics and spend more time working with their children, especially while they are young. Instead of buying them the newest WII or Playstation, invest in learning tools. Leapster & LeapPad programs are wonderful. Play board games with your kids.
DandyLine
08-20-08 12:04 AM »Report Abuse	How about a new rule: If you don't graduate, you'll never be eligible for ANY kind of welfare!
drugsrus
08-19-08 11:48 PM »Report Abuse	what ever happened to having kids repeat a grade ??? being put back always used to help get their head in the right place. funny as it may sound teachers don't teach = students learn
morningstar
08-19-08 7:42 PM »Report Abuse	Lifetime, I agree with you!! Have you ever heard the phrase that some teachers use: "No Child Left Unbombed"? That is the way we see it when we see students struggle from as early as third grade on and being forced to attempt academic work so over their heads they don't even know it's hard! What about life training or career training? The government has taken away any possibility of teaching trades or life skills unless they go through special means and spend lots of money to get it. America used to promote a free and public education for every child. Now, it has unwittingly taken that away from all of the students who could have easily learned a trade and forced them to quit school to save themselves from further insecurity and embarrassment.
LifetimeResident
08-19-08 4:40 PM »Report Abuse	I am a parent who graduated from GHS with honors. My oldest daughter unfortunatly did not inherit my ability to learn things quickly and as such struggled through school. Personally, I feel that when the state did away with school credit diplomas and replaced them with IEPs they did a great disservice to our children. Not every child can pass a regents exam it's just not possible. When I was a kid if a classmate could not pass a regents exam they could work towards a school credit diploma. Kids who could have graduated with a school credit diploma are now opting to quit school altoghter rather than be forced to obtain a regents diploma. I think the no child left behind act was a good idea I just don't think they went about it in the right way.
morningstar
08-19-08 3:19 PM »Report Abuse	Sparky, well said.
Sparky
08-19-08 1:59 PM »Report Abuse	It's too bad, as I'm sure the schools are making reasonable efforts to get these kids through. But you can't help those who won't help themselves. It's a shame you can't make these kids understand the meager financial situation they are most likely dooming themselves to by dropping out. Ultimately, making the kids understand the life-long consequences of dropping out is primarily the responsibility of the kid's parents.
ConervativeandProud
08-19-08 12:37 PM »Report Abuse	The smart ones are leaving. The dumb ones stay and vote to spend 60000 instead of 19000 on buses. They must have leared that in school before dropping out. Maybe we should throw more money at the problem That always seems to solve...... NOTHING!!!
drugsrus
08-19-08 12:31 PM »Report Abuse	I have said for a long time, at least since the so-called students discovered that they have rights, secondary education is more like adolescent day care.
zeus77
08-19-08 11:51 AM »Report Abuse	funny that the great Gloversville district has gotten worse since 2005. And this district keeps bragging about the great job they are doing teaching the kids. Maybe it is time for the parents to wake up and understand that academics is more important than sports.
FREEDOM
08-19-08 11:39 AM »Report Abuse	WOW we have alot of dumb kids in the area.

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