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Logos Public Charter School had the highest graduation rate among Jackson County schools in 2018, according to new data released this morning from the Oregon Department of Education. The charter school’s class of 2018 showed a four-year graduation rate of 92.94 percent. “I can’t help but just be thrilled with what Logos has accomplished for kids in this region,” said Sheryl Zimmerer, the school’s executive director. All but two Jackson County school districts saw improvement from the previous year, and three districts have increased their graduation rate by 15 percentage points or more over the past five years. Statewide, the graduation rate increased by 2 points to 78.7 percent, marking the fifth straight year of improvement. Some of the Rogue Valley’s biggest high schools — from Medford to Central Point to Eagle Point — all saw gains from the previous year. North Medford, which topped Jackson County schools in 2017, rose again, to 91.02 percent. South Medford regained ground, rising to 85.05 percent after a 4.85 point loss the previous year. Crater Renaissance Academy increased its graduation rate by more than 7 points to 87.74 percent, while Crater Academy of Health and Public Services and Crater School of Business Innovation and Science slipped by about 3 percentage points each, to 80.41 and 81.65 percent, respectively. Phoenix High School rose to the fourth highest rate among high schools in the county, with a nearly 10-point jump to 87.04 percent. “We obviously feel really good about the data and super proud of our whole staff, especially the kids that persevered through all the challenges,” said Brent Barry, superintendent of Phoenix-Talent School District. Medford School District rose as a whole to an 80.5 percent rate in 2018. “I think it’s affirming for our staff,” said Brian Shumate, superintendent of Medford School District. “This is a testament also to all the great work of all of our staff and community partners to get all kids across the graduation line.” Shumate noted that the district saw gains in student groups with historically lower grad rates, from students with disabilities to underserved ethnicities. “We’ve had a lot of emphasis on cultural competence, equity initiatives, and with training most all staff, and to really make sure we understand the different learning styles and the different cultural differences that the kids bring to the table,” Shumate said. Eagle Point School District saw the biggest jump between the last two school years: 7.29 percentage points. “We are really excited about that growth,” said Cynda Rickert, superintendent of Eagle Point schools. Rickert and district leadership came under some scrutiny in 2018, as some teachers and community members accused them of trying to raise graduation rates by lowering grading standards through a proficiency system. Rickert denied that was the case. She said interventions centered on increasing attendance and hiring graduation coaches to work in the high school level have helped push the graduation rate up. She said the district is looking to increase its growth by focusing on elementary level and younger, including putting children in educational environments before kindergarten and monitoring third-grade reading proficiency more closely. Further down the valley, Ashland School District’s graduation rate slipped for a fourth year in a row, to 85.61 percent. “It’s absolutely important to us,” said Laurie Rooper, the district’s human resources and communications director. But, she said, the district looks beyond graduation rates to gauge success through completors, or students who graduate in five years or complete with a GED, for example. Rooper said the district is hopeful about gaining back ground in coming years looking at its freshmen on-track data. Ashland School District still has the highest graduation rate in the county, followed by Central Point School District at 83.33 percent and Medford at 80.5 percent. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Kaylee Tornay at [email protected] or 541-776-4497. Follow her on Twitter @ka_tornay.