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.