By Roslyn Ryan
Editor

In roughly the time it takes you to read this article, according to statistics offered by the National High School Center, a Washington, DC-based research group, 15 American high school students will have called it quits.
The moment they do, they will join the ranks of the roughly 7,000 other young people who drop out every school day across the United States.

In Virginia, the dropout rate decreased from 2008 to 2009, falling from 8.7 per cent to 7.9 per cent.
In Powhatan however, the number of students who left school before receiving a diploma increased from 2 per cent in 2008 to 7 per cent in 2009.

Also of note, the number of students graduating on time — within four years of starting high school — dipped in Powhatan, falling from 91.1 percent to 88.3.

While the statistics are concerning, Powhatan County Schools Assistant Superintendent Sandra Lynch said last week that it’s important to understand how the numbers are calculated. Of note, she said, is the fact that 2008 was the first time accurate data was available for on time graduation rates, so it is difficult to say that one down year indicates a trend.

She and other school officials also insist that certain factors beyond their control have an impact on their dropout rate, and that the rising number does not necessarily indicate trouble on the horizon.

Lynch noted, for example, that students who transfer out of Powhatan High School but are not confirmed to be enrolled in another school are counted towards Powhatan’s tally.

“The assumption is that they have dropped out, so obviously we have to take the hit for that,” said Lynch.

There are also cases in which a student leaves Virginia, where education is compulsory until the age of 18, and moves to a state like North Carolina, where students can legally leave school at 16. If that student does not reenroll in school, he or she is also counted towards the dropout rate in Powhatan.

Because Powhatan County has just one high school with a relatively small population — last year’s senior class had 303 students, this year’s has 343 — Lynch said that even a few cases like these significantly impact the numbers.

Lynch pointed that there was some good news to be found looking at last year’s numbers, including the fact that the dropout rate for PHS students identified as economically disadvantaged was zero.

Powhatan also ranked near the top in on time graduation rates when compared to most surrounding counties, and was ahead of both Goochland and Chesterfield.

That said, the schools also saw an upswing in the number of special education students dropping out.
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While students drop out of school for a variety of reasons, say researchers, few do it without first exhibiting warning signs.
One of the most telling indicators that a student is at risk for dropping out is absences.  A student who is suddenly missing day after of day of school may not be contemplating dropping out already, but the ensuing struggle to catch up with an avalanche of missed work might lead them to believe it is their only option.

Students who fail the ninth grade also have been shown to be at a higher risk for leaving school than those who pass on the first try.
Marie Crump, who heads up the Powhatan High School guidance department, spends much of her day working to identify students at risk for dropping out of school and encourage them to finish their education.

The schools offer a number of different options for students when it comes to diplomas, including both an advanced diploma, for which students must earn 24 credits, and a standard diploma that requires 22 credits.

Students with special needs can earn a modified standard diploma or, in some circumstances, what is referred to as a special diploma.

What they don’t want, said Crump, is to have a student “not end up with anything. That is the worst thing they can do.”
She points to the fact that incoming freshmen are assigned mentors when they arrive as just one of the many examples of the school being proactive when it comes to dropout prevention.

Each freshman is also assigned to what the schools call a ninth grade team, a group of the student’s teachers who meet regularly to compare notes on the student’s progress and identify strategies for helping that student improve his or her performance in school.

Because many high school dropouts have reported that falling behind was a key factor in their decision to leave school, Powhatan also offers struggling students Career Pathways, a course designed to help them catch up on work and improve study and organizational skills.

Concerning dropout prevention, “I think we do a good job working with students,” said Crump. “Yes, I want every student to graduate. [The current graduation rate] is a good rate…would we want it be higher? Yes.”

Pointing to the higher dropout rate among special education students last year, Lynch insisted school officials will be working throughout the rest of the year to bring those students back and to identify other students who may be at risk.

“You have to act on every bit of data, and you have to stay on it,” said Lynch. “We are not going to be happy until every child graduates on time. That is our greatest hope.”