High school reports rising pass rates and pushes to improve attendance

Mr. Ford reported to the Beatrice Public Schools board that the high school has made meaningful progress toward its school-improvement target, saying the second-semester trend showed steady gains in students meeting passing marks and approaching the district goal of 97% graduation or passing status. He said the senior class finished the semester just two students short of that threshold and that make-up summer school could push the rate into the low 90s by the end of June.

The update highlighted cohort and grade-level breakdowns, a February high point following an influenza-related dip in January, and the district’s declining referral rate compared with the previous two years. Mr. Ford credited the multi-tiered system of supports for behavior (MTSS) and targeted interventions for helping students return to passing status.

Administrators noted attendance as a limiting factor: ‘‘If you’re not coming to class, it’s tough to pass,’’ Mr. Ford said, describing specific efforts to raise attendance, including Saturday school sessions that produced measurable results. He described incentives (donuts and pizza) and a large turnout for the extra sessions, and offered an anecdote about a student who ran the mile to meet a PE requirement on the final day of school.

Board members praised the staff’s efforts and encouraged continuing the attendance-focused interventions; the board did not take formal action on the update, which was presented as information for the committee.

The next steps the presentation identified were continuing MTSS behavior strategies, monitoring summer-school outcomes to finalize the year’s graduation rate, and continuing initiatives to improve punctuality and daily attendance.