Showing Up Matters

The student graduation rate in the Rochester City School District is too low! Even with the most optimistic number currently being reported, 48% of our students are not completing their high school program within four years. The Rochester community should not be distracted by the discrepancy between the very low rate cited by the State Education Department (39%) and the low rate cited by District officials (52%) but, instead they should agree that a problem exists and expect the leadership of the City School District to answer the question, “Where do we go from here?”

Allow the data to point to some pro-active and common sense steps that can be taken immediately by the Rochester City School District to help solve this problem.

Admit that there is a problem.
To solve a problem, we must first be willing to admit that we have a problem. As the debate in the newspaper demonstrates, the community is still willing to debate whether or not there is a problem. Allow me to answer the question, there is a problem with the graduation rate in the city high schools. It is too low.

Move Beyond the excuses.
The situation today is much the same as it was twenty years ago. Secondary attendance is low, student suspension rates are high and the most contentious years remain the same. As the chart below demonstrates, secondary education in the Rochester City School District has remained fairly consistent over the past twenty years. In spite of the current socio-economic situation of our city and the recent rise in violence on our streets, the challenge to increase our high school graduation rate remains. The City School District must move beyond the decades old list of excuses and find new answers.

Take immediate action.
There are four steps that can be taken right now that will have a large and positive impact on the District Graduation Rate:
1. Ensure that all students attend school regularly,
2. Ensure that all students are safe while at school,
3. Ensure that all students take the coursework necessary to graduate,
4. Ensure that everyone is held accountable for the outcome.

ATTENDANCE
The secondary attendance rate is too low. It is clear from the past twenty years of District data, that the first way to increase the chances of completing high school is for every secondary student to attend school regularly. The City School District should increase student attendance and stem the absence problem that now exists. The first step in this process is to restore the woefully understaffed and underutilized Attendance Department. With an average secondary school attendance rate of approximately 85%, far too many students are now being allowed to “skip” out on their future.

SAFETY
The secondary student suspension rate is too high, especially at grades 7, 8, and 9. Twenty years of District data demonstrate that the student suspension rate at the secondary level remains high, between 20 and 30%. It is a self defeating cycle to attempt to raise the attendance rate while simultaneously excluding students from classes due to suspension. Positive steps need to be taken to keep our students in school, actively engaged in the academic content necessary for graduation.

Specifically, District history tells us that the grade levels with the highest student suspension rates have remained the same (grades 7, 8, and 9) for the past two decades. It is time to really focus on the problem at these three grade levels in particular in order to significantly lower the rate of student suspension. After all, our restructured secondary schools now include grades 7 through 12 and the first three years of a Rochester secondary school education should not be marred by the highest student suspension rates.

The District could take a lesson from the response of Mayor Duffy to the violence at high school basketball games this spring. Rather than accept the unacceptable, this unacceptable behavior was met by an increased emphasis on violence prevention through stringent security measures and increased security presence. It is time for the City School District to increase the resources devoted to school security in order to ensure that academic instruction is the sole focus of a student’s school day.

COURSEWORK
Student coursework is off target. Far too many of our students reach their fourth year of high school without ever having taken the academic courses necessary for graduation. While some schools are more successful than others in this area, the City School District must ensure that every student has a viable individual academic plan for graduation on record as they begin their secondary education. Instructional resources must then be applied in sufficient quantity and of sufficient quality to keep every student moving academically forward at a steady pace during their four years of high school. This may mean an adjustment of what is expected of our schools. The teaching of subject matter content, long viewed as the sole task of a high school teacher, must be replaced with the research based practice of the teaching of literacy through instructional content. This task is not an easy one to accomplish but, it is why schools exist!

ACCOUNTABILITY
Every member of the school community is responsible for the student graduation rate. It does take a village to raise a child and, in the case of student graduation, it takes a school district to create a graduate. This feat is not the sole responsibility of only one person be that a single teacher, administrator, principal or district leader. All members of the City School District staff are responsible for the success of every student. All should be held accountable for their contribution to the raising of the student graduation rate. Annual evaluations should all note the contributions made by each District employee towards raising the student graduation rate.

Parents also have a role in this task and should likewise be held accountable.

Educational research has demonstrated that parent engagement equals student success. It is time for the parents of our high school students to become more actively engaged in the education of their child. It is also time to expect the City School District to implement more effective ways to engage busy urban parents in support of their child’s education.

Four of the Big Five school districts in New York State have higher graduation rates than Rochester. Higher graduation rates are possible. The challenge lies before us; time is running out; the District must take decisive action. NYIEE.com

Michael S. Christman, Ed.D.
President, New York State Institute of Educational Excellence

Data Data Everywhere

We collect data on everything but what do we really do with it. Can we process the amount we collect and use it effectively to drive and lead instruction. Today's educational leaders need to use data to lead and improve school and student improvement. At the institute we specialize in helping schools, districts and school leaders use data and the latest technologies and educational strategies to improve instruction. Keep an eye on this site for upcoming posts. For more information on our services e-mail newyorkiee2008@gmail.com or NYIEE.com