Published: May 19, 2009 10:38 pm      

Students staying in school

Ky. Dept. of Education releases graduation, dropout statistics

More Northeast Kentucky students in 2007-08 were graduating and fewer of them dropping out than the year before, according to figures released Tuesday by the Kentucky Department of Education.

Statewide, graduation rates increased but dropout rates also increased slightly, according to the education department.

Graduation rates in Ashland, Boyd County, Raceland-Worthington and Russell were up from the year before — Raceland showed a 100 percent graduation rate — while Elliott, Greenup and Lawrence counties’ rates slid. Carter and Fairview were almost unchanged.

Fewer students dropped out from Russell and Boyd, Carter and Lawrence county high schools. Additionally, rates were trending downward at most of them. Dropouts increased slightly in Ashland and Greenup County.

Intervention and support programs are vital in keeping students in school until they graduate, Boyd County Principal Rhonda Salisbury said. “Also, staying ahead of it. With about 1,000 students, you have to stay aggressive” with retention efforts, she said.

Paul G. Blazer High School is expanding a credit recovery program next year to try and boost its graduation rate, Principal Derek Runyon said. Also important is paying additional attention to freshmen and sophomores, who are most prone to falling behind, he said.

Students who do lag, especially in key subjects such as math, are then more likely to drop out. “That’s where we see them walk away,” Runyon said.

Greenup’s slight increase in dropouts may have some basis in the major renovation at the school, instructional coordinator Judy Meadows said. The bustle of construction and shuffling of classes to make way for renovation efforts may have made it easier for some students to turn away from the school.

Meadows hopes to see a jump next year. “Kids now have a better attitude and an environment more conducive to learning,” she said.

The education department also released attendance rates, retention rates — the percentage of students held back a grade — and transition to adult life, which measures how many students went to college, got jobs, went into the military or otherwise followed a career path after graduation.

All three measures decreased slightly, although the percentage of graduates who went on to college increased.

Highly troubling was the percentage of minority students — 6 percent — who dropped out, Lisa Gross, education department spokeswoman, said. The high dropout rate is nothing new, she said, “but it’s time to do something about it.”

Kentucky first lady Jane Beshear is planning a September summit meeting about dropout prevention, Gross said.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.