December 22, 2017
T he C olumbia P ress
5
State audits progress on grad rate
20,000 whales with 20,000 watchers
An audit released this
week by the Oregon Secre-
tary of State says the state is
making progress to improve
Oregon’s graduation rate.
It also provides recom-
mendations to build on that
work and help prepare more
students for graduation.
Among the recommenda-
tions:
• Provide targeted sup-
port to students in specific
groups with lower gradu-
ation rates, such as highly
Whale Watch Week may
begin Wednesday, but the
whales already are visible,
Oregon Parks and Recreation
reports.
The agency will have trained
volunteers on hand Dec. 27
through 31 at spots along the
Oregon coast to help peo-
ple see and learn about gray
whales as they head south for
the winter.
“Whales are a special part
of the Oregon coast,” said
Luke Parsons, a ranger at the
Whale Watching Center in
Depoe Bay. “Nearly 20,000
people visit our whale watch
sites each winter and … I
hope visitors walk away feel-
ing a little more connected
to these animals, along with
a greater appreciation of our
oceans.”
An estimated 20,000 gray
whales travel south from
Alaska to their final desti-
nation off the coast of Baja,
Mexico.
Volunteers from the Whale
Watching Spoken Here pro-
gram will be stationed at 24
sites along the coast during
mobile students who trans-
fer between schools and
districts, economically dis-
advantaged students, and
middle school students.
• Provide support to
schools with mid-range
graduation rates rather than
focusing on schools with the
lowest graduation rates.
• Develop initiatives and
collecting data about mid-
dle-schoolers.
• Provide better support to
districts on using data.
High school: Grant is for job training
Continued from Page 1
ly liked to the availability of
a skilled workforce,” Labor
Commissioner Brad Avakian
said in making the grant an-
nouncement.
“As our economy changes
– especially with automation
on the rise – the importance
of skills training in mid-
dle school, high school and
throughout a person’s career
will only grow.”
Graduation rates for stu-
dents in Oregon career train-
ing programs are 15.5 percent
higher than the statewide av-
erage.
The committee that select-
ed which projects would win
grants was made up of rep-
resentatives from organized
labor, trade groups, the busi-
ness community, energy/
power companies and educa-
tors.
Priority was given to pro-
grams that lead to high-wage,
high-demand occupations,
particularly for students who
might otherwise struggle in
traditional classes.
Warrenton has done well
helping college-bound stu-
dents meet their goals and
the district has had success
with those who struggle, said
Jannusch, who spent 15 years
teaching science and technol-
ogy.
“We didn’t have any real
hands-on classes that give
kids skills that they can walk
out of school with and get a
job,” he said. “We need to get
them interested and engaged
in learning. … There will al-
ways be a need for technical
skills: working with wood,
welding.”
The grant is for January
2018 through June 2019 and
includes money for summer
programs.
Courtesy Oregon Parks and Recreation
Visitors catch a glimpse of a whale from a perch above the Pacific
Ocean.
the event, including Ecola
State Park in Canon Beach,
Lewis & Clark Interpretive
Center in Ilwaco and Neah-
kanie Mountain Historical
Park.
They’ll offer whale watch-
ing tips and facts about the
animals from 10 a.m. to 1
p.m. daily. Each year from
December to mid-January,
gray whales swim 6,000
miles down the coast to reach
calving lagoons in Baja.