Recent data shows the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District’s graduation rate as 87.5 percent, which is higher than the rate for the entire state of Mississippi.
Starkville High School Principal Sean McDonnall said graduation rates for the district have remained high due to efforts to increase interventions for at-risk students, and better tracking of students that drop out or move on to other schools. Due to the tracking the district’s rate will not be detracted by students who complete a high school equivalency program or graduate from an out-of-state high school.
“We’ve been going up pretty consistently for a while,” McDonnall said.
McDonnall also said changes in state testing rules, including a sliding scale for passing scores and test preparation classes have also helped increase graduation rates.
This data exceeds the state average. However, state graduation rates continue to rise.
According to Mississippi Department of Education data, the graduation rate for last school year is 82.3 percent, up from 80.8 percent last school year, and 73.7 percent in 2012. Mississippi dropout rates are also on the decline, at 10.8 percent this school year, down from 16.8 percent in 2012.
“The MDE has strategically focused its efforts on professional development around higher standards of learning and literacy to build the capacity of our teachers,” Mississippi State Board of Education Chairman Rosemary Aultman said in a news release. “The Board has also opened multiple pathways for students to earn a diploma. All of these efforts have helped more students receive a diploma.”
The graduation rate for students with disabilities also increased from 33.6 percent to 34.7 percent.
McDonnall said the district’s increase in graduation rates continued through the consolidation in 2013.
“It starts in the lower grades,” McDonnall said. “It’s not just a high school thing. It’s a school district thing.”