High School Graduation Rate – Oregon

‘Not acceptable:’ Nearly one-third of Oregon high school students drop out, By Betsy Hammond, May 25, 2010, The Oregonian: “Only two of every three students in Oregon’s class of 2009 graduated from high school in four years, while more than 14,000 dropped out along the way, the state education department reported Tuesday. State Superintendent Susan Castillo said she hopes the startlingly low success rate galvanizes Oregonians to provide — and demand that schools provide — more student support. She said she plans to shine a light on districts including Hillsboro and Tigard-Tualatin that, without extra funding, use systematic approaches to get standout results. ‘As a state, this is not acceptable, absolutely not, and we have got to have a coordinated effort on this,’ she said. ‘Whether you have kids or not, this matters to you. When students are not getting the education they need, we all pay the price.’ This year represented only the second time, and the first time that will count toward school performance ratings, that Oregon measured high school graduation rates in a new, more accurate way. Under the old method, which allowed thousands of teens who didn’t earn diplomas to slip away without being counted, Oregon would have posted an 85 percent graduation rate for the class of 2009. Federal rules will require all states to use the new method for the class of 2011. Oregon is ahead in making the switch, so state-by-state comparisons can’t be made yet…”