It took two and a half years of work, but the Lower Kuskokwim School District’s graduation rate is up by 11 percent, according to preliminary data.
Right now, the Lower Kuskokwim School District is looking at internal preliminary numbers indicating that there has been a double-digit increase district wide in student graduation rates from roughly 50 percent to 60 percent. Assistant Superintendent Carlton Kuhns says that they know they need more improvement, but they’re at least heading in the right direction, which is really encouraging.
The improvement began two and a half years ago, says Kuhns, when the school board implemented a strategic model to track how students are doing in real time, spot problems early, and respond.
“This is based on establishing outcomes of student performance as the starting point and then building plans to go with that. It’s a systems-based approach, so it’s constantly looking at data and then making adjustments in the plan to get to those student outcomes,” said Kuhns.
Before implementing the model, the rate of those entering LKSD high schools as freshmen and making it to graduation as seniors was around 52 to 53 percent. That means that almost half the students never got a diploma. But with the right kind of data gathered in what the district calls its “Drop-Out Early Warning System,” which keeps track of every student’s attendance, behavior patterns, and grades, teachers and staff were ready to help students that needed it.
“So teachers and principals at every school, they can look at that and intervene very quickly when they see a student whose performance is starting to flag,” Kuhns said.
Another big focus is the overall climate, or environment, at the schools.
“There’s a lot of work being done to make schools welcoming and inviting and engaging for kids, and that is paying off. I think that accounts for a lot of the increase that we see,” said Kuhns.
They’ve also made a big effort to be more culturally responsive by increasing the emphasis on Yup’ik language instruction and cultural activities that help ground students overall, Kuhns says.
The district has also added three more career counselors. LKSD Director of Secondary Education Kimberly Hankins says that it has also invested a lot in career programs overall, adding courses in education careers, tribal management, and a tribal government course. The district has also begun offering dual enrollment classes with the university.
“In math, some in health care, medical terminology, intro to health careers,” Hankins said. “This year, for the first time, we’re offering dual enrollment for Yup’ik orthography.”
The district is now providing dormitories in Bethel to house students from the surrounding villages pursuing specific career paths, which appears to be a very positive experience for students, she says.
With hard work from staff, instructors, parents, and especially students to meet goals in the strategic model, Assistant Superintendent Kuhns hopes to see graduation rates continue improving. Official graduation rate numbers for the district should be coming soon from the state Education department.