A new initiative by several school districts and the US Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) which tracks down the graduation rate of students has helped students graduate in lesser time than they usually would. School districts Sparta and Walnut Grove have reported a 100% graduation rate. All the students of the 2019 batch graduated in the year they were supposed to be.
Many times students drop out or delay their high school education. Sometimes, due to some medical conditions, they require more time to graduate than the others. For the past 4 years, Missouri has been able to maintain its 88% graduation rate.
If we talk about other school districts in Missouri, Springfield bounced to an impressive 88.5%. However, poor results were seen from the larger districts like Kansas City (71.6%) an St. Louis (72%).
Increasing graduation rate a sign of better things to come
DESE tracks the records of students on the basis of the time they take to complete their graduation. According to Chris Neele, who serves as the Assistant Commissioner of DESE, teachers and school officials of the state don’t give up on students just like that. They are helped with their issues so that they can at least complete their graduation. It is not mandatory and students are not forced to complete their graduation in 4 years.
The first step taken by the school districts is to identify the students who are facing troubles in the school such as poor calculations, inability to read properly, behavioral problems, etc. These are the first signs that motivate students to drop out. Then the school intervenes and a solution to the problem is sorted out.
These solutions like the provision of mentors and tutors, helping with mental issues and counseling, summer courses and other options as per the needs of the student. This has enormously helped the students getting back on track and complete their graduation.
Students at Springfield are provided special attention when they move to middle school or high school. Sometimes, it’s difficult during the transition. If students face trouble as a freshman and aren’t guided, they are less likely to graduate.
