BY DAYNA STRAEHLEY
High school graduation rates rose throughout the Inland area and California for the Class of 2013. In the meantime, dropout rates fell an average of 1.5 percent statewide and more than 1.1 percent in the Inland area, part of an ongoing trend since the Class of 2010 changed the way dropouts and graduates are counted. Educators attributed the improvement to a combination of programs — summer school, afterschool sessions, better-trained and caring teachers, counselors and schools’ attention to individual students. “It’s not just one magic pill,” said Joe Balleweg, director of curriculum and instruction for Temecula Valley Unified School District, which posted the region’s second highest graduation rate and lowest dropout rate. “There are a number of things that go into having high graduation rates,” added Karen Parris, spokes- woman for Murrieta Valley Unified School District, which had the area’s highest graduation rate. The graduation rates reflect ninth-graders who graduate on time with their classmates. Dropout rates reflect students who leave high school without a diploma. Some students aren’t reflected in either rate. “Many students are taking a fifth year” to graduate, state Superintendent Tom Torlakson said, particularly students learning English as a second language who don’t come to California schools until junior high or high school, he said. Special education students also have high rates of continued enrollment. Some special education students get a certificate of completion instead of a diploma. Other students get a GED instead of graduating. Since the Class of 2010, the state has begun using the more accurate California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System to follow each ninth-grader through graduation. “The trends certainly are positive, but there remains plenty of work to do in the classroom and at our schools to make county students college- and career-ready,” San Bernardino County Superintendent Gary Thomas said. Large, traditional high schools generally posted graduation rates above their district’s average, while students struggling the most transferred to alternative and continuation schools. In Riverside County, Moreno Valley Unified School District posted the greatest improvement. That district raised its on-time graduation rate more than 15 percentage points over the past three years to 81 percent, surpassing the state graduation rate of 80.2 percent and national rate of 80 percent. Moreno Valley Superintendent Judy White said educators know they can continue. “It had to be teamwork for teachers and counselors,” White said. Principals, counselors and teachers meet monthly and take a personal interest in any student at risk of dropping out, White said. The district has expanded options for students to catch up on credits they need to graduate and make up not only classes they failed but also classes in which they got a D. Repeating those classes improves students’ skills and helps them do better the next year, she said. Likewise, Murrieta Valley has online courses, dual enrollment at Mt. San Jacinto College and independent study among the options for students to make up classes, Parris said. Inland educators said teachers have ongoing training to encourage and maintain students’ active participation. For instance, students might all be asked to hold up a thumbs-up or thumbs-down if they agree or disagree with something being discussed in class, Temecula Valley’s Balleweg said. PARENTS, TOO White said Moreno Valley schools have garnered the support of community partners not only as student mentors but also as co-sponsors for parent conferences. In Moreno Valley, parents gather to hear about which high school classes students need to be eligible for state university admission and how to keep their teenage sons and daughters interested in school, such as through arts, sports and extracurricular activities, White said. Community sponsors serve refreshments at such parent conferences and also offer students incentives, such as pizza coupons for good grades and attendance, she said. Career technical education programs also hold students’ interest in school and help them see why they should graduate, Murrieta Valley’s Parris said. She mentioned a crime scene investigation class and video production as examples. Successful schools such as Martin Luther King Jr. High in Riverside also connect freshman to the campus community right away with programs such as Link Crew, in which a junior or senior volunteer advises every new student, Principal Daryl Hansen said. Inland districts said they have ongoing training programs to help teachers adapt to students’ different needs in the classroom every day. Roger Yoho, director of assessment and accountability in Corona-Norco Unified School District, said teachers think about how to reach all students as individuals. For instance, most students in a classroom might understand a lesson if they hear the teacher explain, but Yoho said one student may only understand if the information is presented visually. So, teachers will make sure they include a visual explanation as part of every lesson. “It’s personalized,” he said. “People care about students and colleagues care about employees.” Large, traditional high schools generally posted graduation rates above average for their districts while students struggling the most transferred to alternative and continuation schools. Some districts have charter schools or magnet schools that attract highly motivated students. For instance, Nuview Bridge Early College High School, with a class of 96 students, had a 100 percent on-time graduation rate. Students concurrently take community college classes. California Military Institute in the Perris Union High School District had 56 of its 57 students graduate in the Class of 2013.