Mount Si graduation rates surge
July 7, 2010
By Laura Geggel
The Snoqualmie Valley School District is experiencing a boom in on-time graduation rates, according to data from the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Seven years ago, about 54 percent of students graduated on time from the Snoqualmie Valley School District, according to the OSPI. That number steadily increased: in 2004, 79 percent graduated on time, 88 percent in 2006 and 93 percent in 2008. In 2009, 85 percent of seniors graduated on time in the district.
The percentages combine graduation rates from both Mount Si High School and Two Rivers School.
At Mount Si, the on-time graduation rates range between 84 percent and 90 percent.
“Mount Si has always had a healthy graduation rate,” Mount Si Counselor Joe Galagan said.
Galagan credited hard-working staff members and students for the high graduation rate. He said ninth-grade remedial classes that move at a slower pace and have smaller class sizes help students with the high school transition and could also prevent drop outs.
“We have put a lot of emphasis on the ninth-grade year, because we recognize that some kids who come into Mount Si are struggling learners,” Galagan said.
Mount Si staff members try to identify struggling students before they come to high school by talking with middle school counselors. If students are placed in a regular class but have trouble, they can switch to the transition classes, Galagan said.
Next year, Mount Si will offer transition classes in language arts, science and world history.
Galagan said the school usually has success with students who are eager to learn, but not everyone has that mindset.
“The greatest challenge is working with students who are not motivated to succeed. For whatever reason, they are struggling with their own motivation to learn,” Galagan said. “Turning those students into inspired learners can be difficult at times. Some of them become engaged learners in high school. Some of them don’t.”
Galagan called teaching a partnership between students and the school district. Even with the challenges, he said he wanted Mount Si to reach 100 percent graduation in the future.
Like Mount Si, Two Rivers has also experienced an increase in on-time graduation rates. In 2003, about 9 percent of students graduated on time. In 2009, that number jumped to 41 percent.
Many Two Rivers students take longer than four years to graduate. For example, in 2008-09, Two Rivers had 20 seniors. Of those students, eight graduated on time and 11 were late graduates, according to data from the OSPI.
Students can stay in the school district until they are 21.
The graduation-rate numbers were only estimates, Galagan said. Schools have become more accurate with following students from grades nine through 12 recently, but in yesteryear, students might be counted as drop outs if they moved and left the district or even if they died.
“Everyone is able to record and track students much better now,” Galagan said.
Nathan Olson, OSPI spokesman, reiterated that the percentages were only an approximation. Starting in spring 2011, school districts will start using a program called the Comprehensive Education Data and Research System that will track each individual student on the path to graduation, Olson said.
Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 221, or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
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