Region’s Graduation Rate Above State Average

In nine of 12 Southwest Virginia school divisions, the high school class of 2008 graduated at rates slightly above the state average, according to new state report.

Issued this week by the Virginia Department of Education, the report uses new methodology to reveal that 81.3 percent of high school seniors statewide graduated on time last spring. The average across Southwest Virginia was 81.7 percent, with Bristol, Tazewell and Lee counties scoring lower.

Broken down by individual schools, 25 of 37 high schools across the region posted on-time graduation rates greater than the state average.

Scott County posted the region’s highest average, with 90.5 percent of last year’s senior class graduating on time. Among individual schools, Scott’s Twin Springs topped all schools with a 96.4 percent average and Gate City was second at 91.4 percent.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Lee and Thomas Walker high schools – both in Lee County – reported 63.4 and 61.4 percent graduation rates, respectively.

Virginia High School in Bristol reported a 77.4 percent graduation rate, nearly 4 percent below the state average, but a major increase from the recent past, acting Superintendent Ina Danko said.

“Last year was about 10 percent less, about 67 percent,” said Danko, who formerly served as the high school principal. “We really focused hard last year to encourage students to participate in remediation programs.”

School officials have implemented a series of programs to assist students with reading deficiencies, provide after-school tutoring and other forms of academic support, Danko said.

“We’re trying to keep kids on track and on grade level. If they fail ninth grade, it drastically reduces their chances to graduate. They lose credits and they lose heart,” Danko said.

The city also had one of the region’s highest averages of students earning general equivalency diplomas – nearly 10 percent.
“I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Danko said.

In 2004, the state began tracking individual students who were entering high school and followed them through the remaining years. The new report marks the first time the state has used this formula – tracking students from year to year and factoring in those who transfer – to arrive at a more precise rate, according to information from the state.

The previous method, which state officials deem less accurate, resulted in a 73.5 percent graduation rate in 2007.

“It [the new report] probably is a more accurate way of calculating the number of people who really graduate,” said Anne Shumaker, provost of Virginia Intermont College. “The old way didn’t take into account people who move or other enrollment changes.”

Washington County Superintendent Alan Lee said the new method makes any comparison to rates from previous years inconclusive.

“This entirely new formula is like comparing apples to oranges,” Lee said, adding that he believes the new standard gives a much more accurate picture.

While Abingdon, John S. Battle and Patrick Henry high schools reported graduation rates well above the state average, the county’s Holston High finished at 76.1 percent.

“Holston’s SOL [Standards of Learning] scores are outstanding – about the highest in the county,” Lee said. “We attribute that to the [school’s] size and the individual attention students got. Why the graduation rate wasn’t as high is something we’ll have to look at.”

Scott County Superintendent James Scott said his division’s success is attributable to a lot of hard work in some specific areas.

“A couple years ago, we began working with special-needs folks, trying to get as many kids as we could to standard,” Scott said. “We worked with them as we
never had before.”

More than 96 percent of Scott students with disabilities graduated on time – more than any demographic subgroup in the region. Five other local divisions also saw students with disabilities graduate at rates greater than or equal to their overall average.

In the past two years, Scott County also hired eight reading specialists to work with struggling students at every grade level – including high school.

“We’re pleased our rate was better, but we’ll always try to do a little better,” Scott said. “Our goal is for every student to graduate.”

Lee County Superintendent Fred Marion was out of town and unavailable to answer questions. Calls to the school division weren’t immediately returned.

Across the region, female students graduated at a higher rate than their male counterparts, which also mirrored state averages. The only local exceptions were in Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell counties and the city of Norton.

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