The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current, March 21, 2020, Image 21

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The Observer., March 21, 2020, Page 21, Image 21

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Newspaper Page Text6 La Grande Pride March 2020 • www.lagrandesd.org PR GRADUATION RATE PUBLISHED La Grande’s response to latest ODE report On January 23, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released its report on the 2018-19 graduation rates for school districts in Oregon. This is the 4-year cohort graduation rate, the per- centage of students who earn a standard diploma within four years of enter- ing high school. The La Grande School District’s graduation rate is 79.87%, which is down from gthe previous year’s rate of 86.42%. La Grande School Dis- trict Superintendent George Mendoza said that district administration did a careful analysis of the Class of 2019 graduates to break down the numbers, track students and interpret the apparent decrease in graduation rate. The resulting analyses showed that seven of those students are in continu- ing enrollment, meaning they are staying in school at LHS. Twelve students from 2018-19 earned their GEDs and were included in the 4-year cohort complet- er rate, which is 87.42%. Thirteen students from the Class of 2019 out of 150 stu- dents were true non-com- pleters. Mendoza also said the district has established several systems to support students in various ways, not only academically. These include adding a high school con in p be u seco past mai all d load grad to lo of an staff a th fund 5-ye coun to th ing no s is im earl thro ESD Lea as offic thes are stud success counselor, more Career and Technical Ed- ucation (CTE) courses, an in-school health center and more robust mental health and behavioral supports for students. “We have a lot of import- ant systems in place to help students succeed, and we will continue to utilize those systems,” said Mendoza. “The goal in our strate- gic plan is to exceed state averages in all areas and we continue to work hard toward that.” According to Scott Car- penter, the district’s director of education programs, La Grande’s graduation rate has remained steady around 80% for several years, but the 5-year cohort completer rate has hovered around 88% to 90%, and this year’s rate was 93.9%. This rate in- cludes students who earned a GED, or an extended or adult high school diploma within five years of entering high school. “As a district, we focus on completers and on any good outcome for kids, even if that takes longer than four years and may not mean a standard diploma,” said Carpenter. “Every story is different and sometimes includes something other than a standard diploma. We work with students and families to help make these decisions.” Carpenter enumerated several program initiatives that engage students and the low the help them work toward dist graduation. These include: cam The REACH Program, Tiger can Ambassadors (student men- “buz torship program), ASPIRE buil Program, CTE Pathways Program, and a program on t called AVID that will start that next year. roof “We will continue to use mai Measure 98 funds,” he said, “and our upcoming Student and Investment Account (SIA) leak funds to continue to devel- Ann op strategies to engage our dist students.” $47