Heather Latter
The Ministry of Education announced the graduation rates for 2014 earlier this month and Superintendent of Education Casey Slack was pleased to report to trustees last week that graduation rates within the Rainy River District School Board are on the rise.
“In all the graphs, there is an upward trend,” he said in his presentation during the board’s regular meeting last Tuesday, citing most recently there is an especially strong improvement overall.
Graphs were provided to trustees showing the four-year and five-year graduation rates for local students from 2010-14, as well as a breakdown of demographics by self-identified non-aboriginal, aboriginal Métis, and aboriginal First Nations.
“Our board has been using a grad rate for at least the 10 years that I’ve been here,” Slack noted, adding they have been using the figures to improve student performance throughout the system and enhance the overall graduation rates.
The four-year grad rate includes students who were enrolled as of Oct. 31 or March 31 of their Grade 9 year, and were present in our schools on March 31 four years later.
Students earn the OSSD before Aug. 31 of the fourth year of high school.
Board-calculated grad rates for the four year-period ending Aug. 31, 2014 was 83.9 percent.
The five-year grad rate, meanwhile, includes students who were enrolled as of Oct. 31 or March 31 of their Grade 9 year, and are present in our schools on March 31 five years later.
Board-calculated grad rates for the five-year period ending Aug. 31, 2014 was 85.2 percent.
“The rolling five-year averages is a pattern that we like to see—it’s northward and westward,” said Slack, noting the figures start with the percentage of graduates in 2010, with just a small dip in 2012.
“In 2013, 2014, we see an increase in the number of students who are graduating with a four-year grad rate,” he remarked.
“We have a similar pattern happening with the five-year grad rate,” Slack added.
“It’s increasing,” he said. “It’s a galvanizing of everything we’re doing as a system K-12.
“I think it’s a tremendous service to make a definition focused on particularly what’s going on in high school.”
Breaking the figures down further, Slack indicated non-aboriginal students have seen a small increase in the five-year span.
The pattern is similar with aboriginal Métis students, although the average took a dip in 2012.
Then aboriginal First Nations have shown considerable improvement—over 30 in the five-year time span.
Slack said the board uses the grad rates for strategic planning, annual operation planning, and innovative ideas.
“It drives so many initiatives through School Support Services,” he remarked, noting the increase of grads can be attributed to a combination of:
•transitioning processes (meetings, presentations, tours) between Grade 8 and 9;
•personalizing timetables for success;
•providing alternative education options;
•expanding experiential learning in dual credit courses and Specialist High Skill Majors; and
•providing continuous intake credit rescue/credit recovery programming.
“We have more students who are graduating,” Slack enthused.
“We’ve definitely raised the bar.”
Slack noted the board will continue enhanced work within the strategies in order to continue the high expectations for all learners.
It also aims to ensure all secondary schools increase the success for all students, with particular focus on First Nation students.
