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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Search to resume Saturday for Guinness record holder Todd Ragsdale ... Prosecutors use refuge occupiers' own words against them ... DA won't offer felony discharge to justice director Shane Hagey ... Search to resume Saturday for Guinness record holder Todd Ragsdale ... Prosecutors use refuge occupiers' own words against them ... DA won't offer felony discharge to justice director Shane Hagey ... OUR VIEW Our View: Graduation rates: Now the hard work begins Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jan. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Medford School District's success in boosting graduation rates across the board is certainly good news. It's also just a start. Oregon schools in general and Medford's in particular have reported substandard percentages of students receiving diplomas for some years now. The state's graduation rate was fourth worst in the nation in 2014. Medford's rate in 2014 was 65 percent. That was a little worse than 2013, when the rate was 67 percent, but an improvement over 2012, when the rate was 64 percent. The figure for 2015, however, was dramatically better: 75 percent. Administrators attribute the improvement largely to targeted use of data to identify students early on who lack enough credits to be on track to graduate on time. Teachers also receive attendance reports every 20 days, so they know which students haven't been showing up to class. That's far preferable to waiting until the junior or senior year, when a struggling student is too far behind to make up missing credits. Focusing on at-risk students individually and early means not letting those students slip through the cracks and get lost in the system until it's too late. As impressive as the increase was, it's not enough. The Medford School Board has set a goal of an 80 percent graduation rate by 2017. Using data to focus on students who are falling behind is smart, and clearly effective, but that by itself won't get the district to 80 percent. In a way, that laser focus on failing students was the easy part. The next five percentage points will be harder. Superintendent Brian Shumate says he's confident the district can hit that target with additional measures such as after-school programs and steps to reduce class sizes. And the district is attacking the problem on multiple levels. Program changes targeted English-as-a-second language instruction to help increase Latino and migrant students' graduation rates, and economically disadvantaged students saw better outcomes as well. Getting to 80 percent — and, ultimately, beyond — will take a concerted effort by everyone involved, including parents. The district should take a bow for its notable improvement and then roll up its sleeves and push on. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501