Efforts to keep more students in high school and graduating within four years have worked for most school divisions throughout South Hampton Roads, according to data released Tuesday by the Virginia Department of Education.
With the exception of Norfolk schools, local divisions improved their on-time graduation and dropout rates in the last year. Statewide, the graduation rate rose a point, to 86.6 percent, and the dropout rate declined about a point, to 7.2 percent.
Chesapeake schools gave the best performance in the area, with a graduation rate of 90.2 percent.
Norfolk schools performed the lowest locally and have the fourth-highest dropout rate in Virginia. The division's dropout rate rose slightly to 15.7 percent from 15.3 last year, and its on-time rate fell to 73.6 percent from 74.2.
Norfolk Superintendent Richard Bentley said he was "somewhat discouraged" by the performance at Maury and Granby high schools, which saw lower graduation and higher dropout rates. Granby's 21.8 percent dropout rate is the worst of a regular high school in the state.
"As a division, we have to do better," Bentley said.
He said Booker T. Washington High made a huge leap forward in posting a nearly 69 percent on-time graduation rate, compared to 61.7 percent last year, and in lowering dropouts to about19 percent, compared with 25 percent the previous year.
Poverty in student households influences graduation and dropout rates, he said. "It's not the only factor, but we know it certainly does play a role."
The Portsmouth division, long-known for its high dropout rate and low on-time graduation rate, showed the biggest improvement in South Hampton Roads. Its on-time graduation rate rose to 77.3 percent from 67.9, and its dropout rate fell to 13.6 percent from 20.1. It has the 13th-highest dropout rate statewide, down from third.
Schools don't face consequences for not meeting specific state on-time graduation or dropout rates, although graduation data are factored into a school's state accreditation.
Portsmouth Superintendent David Stuckwisch said changes made to the division's graduation requirements last year helped the division boost its rate. It dropped a 2.0 grade-point-average graduation requirement last year. It had been the only division in South Hampton Roads to have it. In 2009, Portsmouth reduced the number of elective credits required for graduation, bringing the credit requirement more in line with other divisions.
"More kids stayed in school and didn't lose hope because of that," Stuckwisch said about rescinding the 2.0 GPA requirement.
Portsmouth's Woodrow Wilson High, still with the lowest on-time graduation rate in South Hampton Roads, improved its graduation rate this year, too, climbing to 64.8 percent this year from 57.6. It also saw a drastic improvement in its dropout rate, which fell this year to 18.2 percent from 26.6.
Chesapeake school officials said they are getting better at tracking students while they are still in school, a factor that has played a role in that divisions's status as the top performer locally.
Counselors and administrators watch for students at risk of dropping out, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Patricia Powers told the School Board this week, identifying them by frequent absences and falling grades. Then they work with the students to make sure they don't leave school. That's what happened at Deep Creek High, where the dropout rate fell from 14 percent last year to 5.8.
"One dropout... is one dropout too many," Powers said.
Virginia Beach monitors student progress across all grade levels. The idea is to intervene before a child reaches high school, said Jared Cotton, associate superintendent for educational leadership and assessment.
Teachers and guidance counselors meet to talk about attendance, discipline and graduation data. High school principals also gather frequently to share ideas. Home visits are another tool to prevent dropouts, said Jobynia Caldwell, Virginia Beach's assistant superintendent for high school education.
Suffolk schools have cracked down on truants, taking six students to court for repeated unexcused absences. Kevin Alston, assistant superintendent for administrative services, said principals receive a list of over-age students - those who are 18 and 19 in the ninth grades, for example - so they can assign mentors or schedule meetings to talk about the GED. The division also offers online credit recovery classes so students can stay on grade level.
"You're never pleased; you're encouraged that what you're doing is making a difference so you need to continue to come up with ideas," Alston said.
Cheryl Ross, (757) 446-2443, cheryl.ross@pilotonline.com
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Pilot writers Elisabeth Hulette, Hattie Brown Garrow, Steven G. Vegh and Meghan Hoyer contributed to this report.
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Parents Need to be Accountable
If the school districts want to have no minimum GPA for graduation, then the school board and administrators need to be fired. Our education system should be more than passing SOL exams. It should be about preparing our students for the skills to succeed in life, whether that be the workplace or college. Learning to create standards, strive towards those standards, and succeeding beyond those standars are important life skills that need to be taught. But, I guess the fact that the school districts with the lowest graduation rates also tend to be in the areas with the highest poverty rates.
Black and White Statistics
It SOOO irks me when we see statistics broken down by white and black students.
Now tell me - my wonderful grandson is exactly 1/2 white and 1/2 black. How does the school count him??
We need to stop even distinguishing students this way. They are all students...that need help with school!
Chesapeake school board has been crowing about their graduation
The Chesapeake school board has been crowing about their graduation and dropout rates compared to other rates in the Tidewater area but how good is that comparison. It does not take much to be better than Norfolk and Portsmouth! And the data that they are crowing about is two years old as per (Institute of Educational Services, Department of Education). And why is it that the Department of Education does not provide up to date data that would give a us a up to date perspective of what is really going on in the government run schools? With the technology today there is no reason we can't have this data so why
does the Department of Education not provide it? If a private business was run using two year old data well they would go out of business! T
RE: really sad
The drop-out rate is worse in other parts of the country, and as a nation, over 7000 students leave school without graduating every single day. These young people are doomed, and, as one person said in this article, "one drop-out is too many". Norfolk has some wonderful people who are at the mercy of poor administrators, an appointed school board, and a number of colleagues who lack a work ethic. I resigned from Norfolk, because they appear to want success for kids who populate the top 15% of their schools on an academic level. When students are divided up by neighborhoods and test scores, every one of us loses. Families who want a decent education for their children should look elsewhere for a place to live.
We agree with Patricia
We agree with Patricia Powers: Even one dropout is too many. But we’re gravely concerned by the ways in which many districts have gone about improving their graduation rates. Dropping grade requirements, reducing the number of classes that must be taken, taking students to court, and pushing GED programs are all steps in the wrong direction. Students can achieve great things when great things are expected of them; they simply need more flexibility, accountability and support to do it.
Huh?
So there isn't a GPA requirement to graduate? So, basically, just show up and you're good? That isn't graduating that's attending. Secondly, it mentions 18 and 19 year olds in the ninth grade? You've got to be kidding me. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, that's a waste of time.
We need to rewind the attitude about education 20 years: "A public education is a privelege, not a right." If you want to blow off class, ignore teachers and not take an interest in your own education, you shouldn't be in a public school. All these students are doing is frustrating overworked teachers and getting in the way.
Portsmouth Public Schools
Portsmouth Public Schools increased their graduate rate because they chose to drop the 2.0 GPA graduation requirement. Portsmouth used to have the highest standards compared to other school systems around them. Now, they are just like the other school systems and can have more graduates and less drop outs.
Say what?
"Schools don't face consequences for not meeting specific state on-time graduation or dropout rates, although graduation data are factored into a school's state accreditation"
Does that mean lack of accreditation is not a consequence? If this is an example of the kind of logic taught in our schools, I wonder if those who DO graduate are actually learning anything useful.
Why is Portsmouth improving and Norfolk declining?
"The Portsmouth division, long-known for its high dropout rate and low on-time graduation rate, showed the biggest improvement in South Hampton Roads. Its on-time graduation rate rose to 77.3 percent from 67.9, and its dropout rate fell to 13.6 percent from 20.1. It has the 13th-highest dropout rate statewide, down from third."
So ... Portsmouth must have better students, better homes, better parents, better socio-economic status, and a better urban environment than Norfolk?
It couldn't be the schools or school administration, could it?
Drop out rates explained..
Granby has the highest drop out rate, I am guessing, because they are the largest high school in Norfolk, this is a no brainer. If adults (which is what they have to be) choose to drop out, than they were most likely the type of student that teachers couldn't keep in the classroom anyhow. Criminals, truants, and historical burdon's on society are what these students are. They come to school to satisfy the "15 day" drop rule, and end up disrupting classrooms of students who are trying to learn. These students cause fights, bring gang activities, and danger to what should be a learning environment. But because Norfolk refuses to take a hard stance on these behaviors, they continue to litter our schools and our reputation.