Thursday, April 15, 2010

RRHS: We're No. 1!

By Elaine D. BriseÑO
Copyright © 2010 Albuquerque Journal
Journal Staff Writer
          Carl Leppelman gives part of the credit to involved parents. He also cites the district's efforts to track students' progress.
        Whatever the reason, Rio Rancho High School had the highest graduation rate in the state, according to statistics released this week by the New Mexico Public Education Department.
        The state followed the 2004-05 freshman class at every high school in New Mexico for five years to determine how many graduated. The five-year rate allowed districts to include students in the graduation statistics who needed longer than four years to graduate.
        Rio Rancho High had the highest graduation rate at 90.1 percent. The only schools with higher rates have fewer than 200 students.
        Leppelman, RRPS' associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said several factors contributed to the high rate. First among them: community values.
        "We are in a community where parents value education," he said. "They expect their students to graduate from high school."
        Other contributing factors include:
        • Leppelman said both Rio Rancho and V. Sue Cleveland High make sure each student is on course to graduate on time. If a student falls behind, the respective school will help the student make up missing credits.
        • The district provides a variety of learning environments for high school students and different ways for them to make up missing credits.
        The district opened the Career Tech Early College Center this year. The center, among other things, offers online credit-recovery courses. Principal Lisa Dobson said students can make up credits in all their core classes — math, science, social studies and language arts — and some electives. Students can attend one of two evening sessions.
        Other alternatives include Independence High and the Cyber Academy. Independence, which has an onsite day care, offers a smaller learning environment and a flexible schedule for students who are having trouble in a regular high school.
        At the Cyber Academy, students can take all or some of their courses online.
        • Last December, principals from Cleveland and Rio Rancho High asked the school board to reduce the number of credits required for graduation. They said the current standards encourage some students to drop out once they fail a course.
        Students can earn up to seven credits a year and are required to have 28 credits to graduate. Starting next school year, the graduation requirement will be lowered to 26 credits.
        "As you can see, there is no room for error," Leppelman said. "It's just a reality that some kids will struggle. It's helpful to have that option."
       

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