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Southern Oregon schools reach new highs By Kaylee Tornay of the Mail Tribune Jan 23, 2020 06:00 AM A A Of the 164 students who finished their senior year at Phoenix High School in 2019, 92.1% earned a diploma in four years, new data from the Oregon Department of Education show. A 5.03% jump between 2018 and 2019 pushed Phoenix High’s four-year graduation rate above 90% for the first time, which the school community is celebrating, said Principal Toby Walker. The school’s four-year graduation rate was nearly 10% higher than the Jackson County graduation rate of 80.7%. “We’re absolutely excited, proud and looking forward to continuing the hard work,” said Walker, who is in his second year as principal. Walker doled out credit for the improvement schoolwide and among some vulnerable student populations to teachers, administrators, the district school board and parents alike. “When we saw those numbers, we knew it’s an accomplishment of outstanding work from a multitude of people,” he said. Phoenix High’s progress was mirrored by other Jackson County schools and school districts in 2019, according to data released this week by the state. A few saw their highest ever four-year graduation rate, and in some cases, gaps are shrinking between disadvantaged students and their white, non-disabled and non-poor peers. But across Jackson County, some student groups are still graduating at rates far below than their peers. While the state’s data on five-year graduation and completion show that some achieve diplomas or GEDs with more time, students with disabilities, homeless students and those learning English as a second language in high school continue to graduate at low rates — less than 75% in 2019. Closing those gaps is an ongoing process for school and district leaders, who will use the latest numbers to learn what interventions are working and where more effort is needed. New heights reached Logos Public Charter School and Eagle Point High School both saw their highest-ever four-year graduation rates in 2019. Logos reached 94.2%, and Eagle Point hit 89.1%. “I am so proud of our students, staff and families,” said Cynda Rickert, superintendent of Eagle Point School District. Of Jackson County’s 17 high schools and charter schools, 10 saw an increase in their four-year rates between 2018 and 2019. They followed the trajectory of the state of Oregon as a whole, which reached an all-time high of 80% four-year graduation in 2019. Across several school districts, seniors categorized by the state as “CTE concentrators” stand out. Those are the students who have taken a certain number of career and technical education credits during high school. They often graduate at a rate higher than the general student population and, as was the case in 2019, have the highest grad rate as a group in their schools. In seven local schools and districts, CTE concentrators graduated at rates higher than 95%. In Phoenix, they plan to begin offering more courses in addition to its existing auto and culinary programs, Walker said. A construction class is scheduled for next semester, as is an intro to cosmetology class. “(These) are all programs that help keep kids engaged in school,” he said. Local charter and alternative schools saw some of the largest changes between 2018 and 2019, partly the result of smaller student populations. Central Medford High School’s four-year rate, for example, jumped 10 percentage points to achieve the highest four-year number in the school’s history, reaching 41.3%, data show. Principal Amy Herbst said while she and staff celebrate those changes, their eyes are also on other metrics, including the rate of students graduating in five years. That rate also hit a new high in 2019, of 50%. Herbst noted that the graduation progress comes as the school is supporting a student body that is often highly mobile and that typically is in need of wraparound services provided through the school’s partnerships with other nonprofits. “We’re sort of here as that catch-all,” she said. “I want to celebrate it, but I want to recognize that ... from year to year, some years are more complicated and complex than others.” Room for growth Amid the upward trends, some student groups lost ground. Of the 20 students in Jackson County who self-identify as American Indian and/or Alaska natives, only 55% graduated by their senior year. Charlie Bauer, who oversees the migrant, English learner and Indian education programs for the Southern Oregon Education Service District, said that Native American students continue to face a variety of challenges in school. Teresa Cisneros, Indian education facilitator, works with families to help them feel more connected with the school system, he said. That can boost key factors, such as attendance, to graduation. A teaching staff who more closely reflects the demographics of the students will also serve them better, Bauer said. Research shows that when that happens, “all indicators get better: attendance, test scores, grades, graduation rates,” he said. Native students’ five-year graduation rate, however, is promising: 90.3%, seemingly indicating that sometimes what’s needed is a little bit more time. Some principals said that’s not something to lose sleep over. Staff are committed to seeing students graduate, even if they need longer than four years. “We’re going to be here to help you get done whenever you get done,” said Donnie Frazier, principal of South Medford High School. If students can’t finish during summer school, “come back next year and we’ll keep working, and if you get it done in December, we’ll give you your diploma then.” For other students, though, time isn’t enough — not yet, at least. Students with disabilities in Jackson County graduated in four years at a rate of 66.1% in 2019. The five-year rate increased only slightly, to 69.6%. Homeless students also saw low rates: 60.5% graduated in four years, 65.9% graduated in five. School leaders will review current initiatives in place at their schools, but also look forward to new funding through the Student Success Act to help boost outcomes in the future. Expanding mental health resources, Bauer said, is a priority, particularly to maintain progress among vulnerable student groups. “We have a lot of students who are fearful that their parents will be deported, and when someone is in fear, it makes it really hard to study and attend,” Bauer said. “We see that as a critical piece for our migrant students because of the stress level they’re experiencing.” Bret Champion, superintendent of Medford School District, said that along with promoting leadership and what he called “urgent equity,” mental health is one piece of what Jackson County’s largest school district is prioritizing as it looks ahead to Student Success Act funding. “We’ll be taking a hard look at that,” Champion said. “That’s a nut we have to crack.” Reach Mail Tribune reporter Kaylee Tornay at [email protected] or 541-776-4497. Follow her on Twitter @ka_tornay . Andy Atkinson / Mail TribuneSouth Medford students test drive their creation during robotics class. CTE pathways — which includes robotics — graduated at rates higher than 95%.