District gets A in graduation

Sweetwater County School District No. 2 has one of the highest graduation rates in the state, according to a recent report from the Wyoming Department of Education.

The district had a 92 percent graduation rate during the 2016-17 school year, graduating 183 students out of an expected graduate count of 199. District No. 2 had the second largest number of expected graduates of the school districts surpassing the 90 percent graduation rate. Lincoln County School District No. 2 had a 90.5 percent graduation rate, graduating 209 students out of a group of 231, while Teton County School District No. 1 had a graduation rate of 93.5 percent, graduating 143 students out of 153.

Both Green River High School and Expedition Academy had graduation rates surpassing 90 percent. GRHS recorded a 91.7 percent graduation rate, graduating 166 students out of a total 181, while Expedition Academy graduated 17 students out of 18, recording a 94.4 percent graduation rate in the process.

Donna Little-Kaumo, superintendent of the school district, said she thinks there are three major reasons why the district has such a high graduation rate.

She said Green River’s parents have been very supportive and involved with their children.

“They’ve been supportive of our efforts in making sure (their children) are meeting the requirements,” Little-Kaumo said.

Her second reason involves the mentoring program at GRHS, which pairs upperclassmen with incoming freshmen to help them transition better into high school. Little-Kaumo said ninth-grade students are the most at risk of dropping out and the program gives incoming freshmen a mentor who can help them with school work and get used to the new environment they’re in. The mentors are chosen and provided leadership training to help them succeed in their new role.

Little-Kaumo’s third reason is GRHS’s options program, which provides students intervention help with classes they struggle in. Little-Kaumo said the program takes place on Friday afternoons and is based on weekly academic checks done on student grades. Students with grades lower than a C are required to get additional help for the classes they’re struggling in. The goal is to help students before they get too far behind.

“If kids get too far behind ... they tend to just give up,” Little-Kaumo said.

Ralph Obray, principal of EA, said the atmosphere at the school has helped improve the school’s graduation rates, as well as changes in how the school reports its graduates.

Obray said the school’s teachers work with students on a one-to-one basis and get to know them on an intellectual and personal level.

“We really get to know our kids,” Obray said. “They come in and become part of our family.”

Obray said many people often think of students at an alternative high school as “bad kids.” While he said some students have made poor decisions, they may also face difficulties at home that can impact their desire to attend school.

One of the policies EA has is to call students who do not attend school after two days and schedule a home visit to find out why the student hasn’t shown up. Obray said students also look out for one another as well, sometimes providing support and peer pressure to encourage students to stay in school.

“We’ve got great kids,” Obray said.

According to Obray, many of the students going into EA struggle with the larger group setting present at a traditional high school. One change that has helped EA improve its graduation rate is the school now receives more late freshmen and sophomores than they did initially. The school has an accelerated class schedule which can grant students nine credits in a year compared to seven per year from GRHS. Students who fall behind at GRHS and transfer to EA can catch up and graduate when they’re supposed to. Obray said students transferring to EA as late juniors or seniors may have a more difficult time graduating on time and may have to attend school for a fifth year. Obray said the Wyoming Department of Education now allows alternative high schools to record fifth-year students as part of their anticipated graduates.

Little-Kaumo said the district has set a goal of achieving at least 90 percent graduation and with larger districts, that goal can be difficult to manage. Little-Kaumo said the 90 percent goal is part of their plan to exceed the expectations placed upon the district, something the district has regularly surpassed.

“I think it’s always acceptable to set difficult-to-achieve goals,” Little-Kaumo said.