Clark County school officials seek to boost graduation rates

The Clark County School District’s graduation rate ranges from 46 percent to 65 percent, depending on the calculation system being used.

Regardless, such low rates are unacceptable, Superintendent Dwight Jones said at Thursday’s Clark County School Board meeting.

“What are we going to do about kids threatening to not graduate?” Jones asked, opening a staff presentation on the issue.

Half of the district’s 20,600 seniors are on track to miss graduation in 2012 because of credit deficiency, Deputy Superintendent Pedro Martinez said.

A district-wide initiative, tailored independently to each student, will change that starting the first day of school on Aug. 29, Martinez said.

Of the near 10,000 credit-deficient seniors, 2,400 have so few credits that they will have to return for a fifth year. However, the district has identified 7,430 who can be pulled up in time to walk with their peers, he said.

District officials have given all 49 high school principals a list of those students on their campuses, ordering them to create an individual plan for each student based on their transcripts.

The plans would include a mentor-teacher to provide guidance and support in once-a-week meetings with the students.

“How many times have kids walked away because they think no one cares?” said School Board member John Cole, adding that students need support to reach success, a sentiment other board members echoed.

District officials then will communicate with schools each month, making principals accountable for success.

Joseph Caruso, principal of Cimarron-Memorial High school on Tenaya Way near Lake Mead Boulevard, has studied records for one out of every three seniors. That is how many of his 600 seniors are at risk of not receiving their diplomas.

“Frankly, it scares me,” he said. “This is totally outside of the box, which is good.”

Seniors will take advantage of many of the same programs, such as online credit recovery programs, after-school tutoring, and whatever principals and teachers dream up. Programs to which students are assigned will depend on their credit deficiencies.

The plan addresses seniors in trouble now. The larger goal is to prevent such a predicament, said Martinez, laying out long-term plans to prevent future high students from falling behind.

All remedial high school classes will be removed starting in 2012-13, putting all students in grade-level courses. Teachers will intervene for those students seen struggling, providing support to bridge the gap from remedial to grade level.

“Remedial courses create low expectations that will not stand,” Jones said.

Contact reporter Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.