Data: Most area schools top state grad rate

Local News

Discussion

COMMENTING ON STORIES:

Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.

Coinciding with our websites redesign, we launched our new story comments feature through Disqus.

Disqus gives users the ability to log into our story comments feature so that they may be able to track their conversations, receive emails when their comments get a reply or to even have your comments update onto your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

For the time being, our story comments feature will continue to have the ability to post comments anonymously. We reserve the right to require registration in the future using your name and verified email address.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified at the newspaper’s discretion for a number of different reasons. Please follow our Online Rules of Conduct at all times.

RULES OF CONDUCT:

We reserve the right to remove comments that are unacceptable, to wit:

1. False and inacurate statements.
2. Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.
3. Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.
4. Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.
5. Hate speech of any kind.
6. Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.
7. Accusations of criminal activity.
8. Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.
9. References to any type of sexual activity and other private matters.
10. Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.
11. Advertising of any kind.
12. Typing in all caps.

WE ENCOURAGE REASONABLE AND COURTEOUS COMMENTS THAT:

1. Create conversation on issues of interest and concern to fellow readers and local community members.
2. Express opinions and contrarian views.
3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
4. Stay within the boundaries of these rules.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE ACCESS FOR:

1. Violating any of these Online Rules of Conduct.
2. Deliberately disrupting discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam.
3. Misrepresentation of identity or impersonating another user.

WE WELCOME:

1. Flagging violations of these rules that you observe to our attention.

MONITORING:

We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time (including weekends) will be sporadic.

comments powered by Disqus

June 13, 2012

Data: Most area schools top state grad rate

By Mark Boshnack Staff Writer The Daily Star Wed Jun 13, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

Most area schools exceeded the average state high school graduation rate released Monday night by the state Education Department.

The data show that statewide 74 percent of the students who started ninth grade in 2007 graduated in June 2011. New York rates improved, but nearly a quarter didn't graduate after four years, Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said.

The rates improved drastically at Margaretville Central School, Superintendent Anthony Albanese said.

The school -- placed on the state's schools in need of improvement list after reporting 71 percent rate for 2010 -- reported a 91.2 percent rate for June 2011. There are several reasons for the increase, he said.

Besides the hard work of teachers and students, with a small graduating class, "one or two students can make a big difference."

Last year's senior class had 34 members. In addition, students who pursue individualized education programs or general educational development tests to get a diploma are listed as dropouts.

Since the ranking, steps were taken to provide more support programs and better track the needs of students, Albanese said.

In addition, an after-school program was started as another means to help insure academic success.

The numbers showed a decline at Oneonta City School District, though it still recorded the state average of 74 percent. The previous year it was 76 percent.

Reasons for the totals include a greater number of special education students with an increasing significance of disabilities, high school Principal Nancy Osborn said.

To have an impact, "we are changing the way we provide services and programs" to that population.

It will take a few years to see the outcome of work with the assistance of Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES at the middle and high schools, she said. This includes writing better IEPs for students to "pinpoint" the needs of special education students.

The school reducing its passing grade from 75 to 65 a couple of years ago should also help future classes by helping improve the success rate for students, Osborn said.

The rate for Unatego Central School was among the lowest in the area at 60.6 percent. Previously, it was 66 percent.

Superintendent Charles Molloy said the district was concerned about the number of students graduating in four years, so it did a study on each one. It found when all factors are taken into account, including GED and IEP diplomas and those needing more than four years, the rate was 92 percent.

"We constantly look at what happens to our students," and hope there is a better rate this year, he said. It will be determined in July. Administrators will continue to study the situation to better understand the rates.

At Walton Central School, Superintendent Thomas Austin said generally the rates are better than the state average, and 2011 is no exception. The four-year graduating percentage for the class that started in 2007 was 86.6 percent. The four-year rate in 2010 was 86 percent.

"We're happy with that, but recognize that with increasing state requirements more needs to be done to get students college and career ready," Austin said.

"We need to reach and engage more students with disabilities and those who are economically disadvantaged" to raise those numbers. To help achieve that goal, Walton is offering more after-school time for students and giving teachers more time to be effective through collaboration and learning from each other, he said. Austin said he is convinced that next year's switch statewide to a common core curriculum will allow students to further develop their skills.

Delhi Central School Superintendent Jason Thomson said that the school is above the state average at 85.7 percent. Last year, the rate was 84 percent.

"It's our job to raise the bar," he said. "I'll be happy when we are at 100 percent, year-in, year-out."

While it is a lofty goal, he said, "it's obtainable if everybody, including students, parents, teachers and administration, stays focused on making everybody a success." That is the job of everybody who works as an educator, he said, adding "We have to get kids excited about being in school."

Sidney Central School Superintendent Bill Christensen said he was pleased the graduation rate improved from 79 percent to 82.9 percent in the report. It is the result of the school's efforts to provide better academic support, he said. This includes developing a summer school program that helps students who are having trouble passing Regents exams.

From a public relations standpoint, the state information is valuable, Christensen said, but the school develops its own data in more "real time" to make sure the momentum continues.