Did you know that Tacoma High Schools had an 89.3% graduation rate for the class of 2018? That’s terrific! And it is the result of years of work by the district. But are all students counted in that number? Should they be?
Recently, KNKX reporter Ashley Gross presented a three-part series called “Who’s Counted: Taking a Closer Look at School District Graduation Rates.” The first part, “State policy artificially boosts district-level grad rates by leaving out some at-risk students” covers how students in special drop-out prevention programs are not counted in graduation rates, and explores how varied the graduation and drop-out rates are for those programs. Series parts two and three focus on online teaching programs, and whether they are providing measurable value and assistance to students.
Host Evelyn Lopez sat down with Ashley and Lincoln High School teacher Annie Jansen (co-host of Channel 253’s Interchangeable White Ladies podcast) to talk about how Tacoma students use online courses, and the resources and programs in Tacoma to help students stay in school. What is working, and how do we measure success to make sure that students are getting the support and instruction they need to graduate into the adult world?
Give a listen, and let us know what you think!
Evelyn: @truetacoma Ashley: @ashleykgross Annie: @IWL_Podcast