Post by Okwes on Jun 2, 2008 11:29:34 GMT -5
Central celebrates rise in Native American graduates
By Kayla Gahagan, Journal staff Sunday, June 01, 2008
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Rapid City's Central High School is celebrating a jump in the number of Native American students graduating this year compared to last.
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Thirty-three students graduated last year, and 51 are expected to graduate Sunday in the 2008 class of 449 students.
"It makes me happy, because they say it's our generation that's going to make a change, and it looks like it's going to," graduating senior Audrey Terkildsen, 18, said.
It's hard to say whether that represents an improved graduation rate for Native students, Central principal Mike Talley said, since so many students come and go from other communities throughout their high school years, so the number can't be compared to how many were enrolled at Central as freshmen.
But it's still a source of pride for the school, the students and their families.
Terkildsen was "super-hyped, excited, ready to party" thinking about her graduation.
Talley credits programs introduced under a Bush Foundation grant, such as the Lakolkiciyapi Room, as factors in the students' success. The St. Paul, Minn.-based foundation supports programs in South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota that it says improve the quality of life in communities.
"We're more in tune to social needs of Native students," Talley said. "There's more mentorship and advocacy for students."
The Lakolkiciyapi Room is a "learning center" for students whose academic progress doesn't match what educators see as their potential. Students there learn the core curriculum as well as improve their study skills and social skills.
Dolores Riley, the school district's Indian Education director, said school officials also have tried to help through personal phone calls and letters to parents and teachers to make sure every project is completed.
"Everyone's energy has been focused, from board to teachers, on making sure that at the beginning of the school year, ... it's been a priority to get them to graduate," she said.
She said the district has tried to impress upon the students what graduating could mean for their futures.
"Any time we talk about Indian Education, we talk about the necessity of having more students graduate, and we talk about why," she said. "It increases their ability to live at a higher standard and to receive secondary training."
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2006 -- the most recent year for which figures are available -- people who had completed high school or earned a General Educational Development certificate made about $10,000 more a year than those who did not.
Dropouts are less likely to be in the labor force than those with a high school credential and are more likely to be unemployed if they are in the labor force, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The school district has struggled with a high dropout rate among Native American students and recently applied for another Bush Foundation grant, worth $1.7 million for three years, to provide graduation coaches and mentoring for all Native American students at Central.
Keely Clark, president of the Title VII Parent Advisory Council, said one of the biggest problems is that students tend to drop out during ninth grade when they make the difficult transition to high school.
Title VII is the part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act that deals with Native education, and grant applications made under the act are required to have the support of the parent group.
The district has tried to combat the dropout problem by using cohorts, such as a program at North Middle School in which students form smaller groups to ease the transition.
Also, starting next year, Central freshmen will not be allowed to schedule any periods as "open" with no class. Block periods are the length of two traditional periods, and freshmen with open blocks are more likely to leave the school's open campus and not come back, Clark said.
"That's going to make a huge difference," she said.
John Brewer has been a high school science teacher in the Lakolkiciyapi Room
for a year and has been teaching for 20 years -- most of it on reservations in the state.
He said many of the students he works with are at risk to drop out because of issues including behavioral problems, economic struggles and a lack of transportation to school.
The increase in graduates this year is impressive, he said.
The district will begin tracking student success through programs including the Lakolkiciyapi Room next year, but even without hard data, Brewer said he knows students have stuck around to finish because of the extra effort by the district.
"I'd safely say there are students that have been saved by the Lakolkiciyapi Room," he said.
Talley said credit also goes to a great teaching staff, the students and their parents.
"The kids deserve some credit, too," he said. "They persevered and showed their commitment by being here every day and setting high standards and goals. They've worked hard for this diploma, and they earned it."
Students who were close to graduating this month but were a few credits short will have a chance to earn more credits this summer and graduate in July, Talley said.
"We're not giving up on the kids short of graduation. We're going to keep after them," he said.
Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com.
By Kayla Gahagan, Journal staff Sunday, June 01, 2008
10 comment(s) Normal Size Increase font Size
Rapid City's Central High School is celebrating a jump in the number of Native American students graduating this year compared to last.
Related Articles
Most Commented
Harvest prices expected to be high because of fuel costs
Texas high court says sect kids should go back
Prosecutors to discuss reservation issues
Severe storms bring tornadoes to South Dakota
Tickets for Obama rally are gone
Wharton defends $700K in administrative raises since '04 (141)
Obama to appear in Rapid City area (120)
Hot Springs mayor indicted (106)
Hillary Clinton to visit reservation next week (96)
Obama to campaign in Rapid City Saturday (87)
Ads by Yahoo!
Thirty-three students graduated last year, and 51 are expected to graduate Sunday in the 2008 class of 449 students.
"It makes me happy, because they say it's our generation that's going to make a change, and it looks like it's going to," graduating senior Audrey Terkildsen, 18, said.
It's hard to say whether that represents an improved graduation rate for Native students, Central principal Mike Talley said, since so many students come and go from other communities throughout their high school years, so the number can't be compared to how many were enrolled at Central as freshmen.
But it's still a source of pride for the school, the students and their families.
Terkildsen was "super-hyped, excited, ready to party" thinking about her graduation.
Talley credits programs introduced under a Bush Foundation grant, such as the Lakolkiciyapi Room, as factors in the students' success. The St. Paul, Minn.-based foundation supports programs in South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota that it says improve the quality of life in communities.
"We're more in tune to social needs of Native students," Talley said. "There's more mentorship and advocacy for students."
The Lakolkiciyapi Room is a "learning center" for students whose academic progress doesn't match what educators see as their potential. Students there learn the core curriculum as well as improve their study skills and social skills.
Dolores Riley, the school district's Indian Education director, said school officials also have tried to help through personal phone calls and letters to parents and teachers to make sure every project is completed.
"Everyone's energy has been focused, from board to teachers, on making sure that at the beginning of the school year, ... it's been a priority to get them to graduate," she said.
She said the district has tried to impress upon the students what graduating could mean for their futures.
"Any time we talk about Indian Education, we talk about the necessity of having more students graduate, and we talk about why," she said. "It increases their ability to live at a higher standard and to receive secondary training."
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2006 -- the most recent year for which figures are available -- people who had completed high school or earned a General Educational Development certificate made about $10,000 more a year than those who did not.
Dropouts are less likely to be in the labor force than those with a high school credential and are more likely to be unemployed if they are in the labor force, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The school district has struggled with a high dropout rate among Native American students and recently applied for another Bush Foundation grant, worth $1.7 million for three years, to provide graduation coaches and mentoring for all Native American students at Central.
Keely Clark, president of the Title VII Parent Advisory Council, said one of the biggest problems is that students tend to drop out during ninth grade when they make the difficult transition to high school.
Title VII is the part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act that deals with Native education, and grant applications made under the act are required to have the support of the parent group.
The district has tried to combat the dropout problem by using cohorts, such as a program at North Middle School in which students form smaller groups to ease the transition.
Also, starting next year, Central freshmen will not be allowed to schedule any periods as "open" with no class. Block periods are the length of two traditional periods, and freshmen with open blocks are more likely to leave the school's open campus and not come back, Clark said.
"That's going to make a huge difference," she said.
John Brewer has been a high school science teacher in the Lakolkiciyapi Room
for a year and has been teaching for 20 years -- most of it on reservations in the state.
He said many of the students he works with are at risk to drop out because of issues including behavioral problems, economic struggles and a lack of transportation to school.
The increase in graduates this year is impressive, he said.
The district will begin tracking student success through programs including the Lakolkiciyapi Room next year, but even without hard data, Brewer said he knows students have stuck around to finish because of the extra effort by the district.
"I'd safely say there are students that have been saved by the Lakolkiciyapi Room," he said.
Talley said credit also goes to a great teaching staff, the students and their parents.
"The kids deserve some credit, too," he said. "They persevered and showed their commitment by being here every day and setting high standards and goals. They've worked hard for this diploma, and they earned it."
Students who were close to graduating this month but were a few credits short will have a chance to earn more credits this summer and graduate in July, Talley said.
"We're not giving up on the kids short of graduation. We're going to keep after them," he said.
Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com.