SANDRA STOKLEY
Superintendent of Schools Kenn Young on Thursday congratulated Riverside County educators for inspiring their students to stay in school, study hard and graduate. That dedication landed Riverside County in third place – just eight-tenths of a percent from second place – in 2014 statewide high school graduation rates. The county’s 84.4 percent graduation rate was up from 80 percent in 2011. But Young cautioned that in the 21st century global economy, students must be challenged to seek more than just a high school diploma. And he urged teachers to take up that challenge. “It used to be that fast food was a relatively safe bet for teens working after school or for those with limited education,” Young said. “But when robotic Motoman is literally ‘flipping burgers’ and his counterpart is covering the drivethrough window, as Bob Dylan said, ‘(The) times they are a changin’.’ ” Young’s comments came at the annual Riverside County State of Education Address and Luncheon at the Riverside Convention Center. Young said Cal State University’s Early Assessment Program begins tracking students’ college readiness as early as second grade and that the early results have been troubling. Roughly 46 percent of fourth-graders statewide were on track for postsecondary readiness in mathematics, but by eighth grade, that number had dipped to 16 percent. In English-language arts, 38 percent of students in the state were on track by fourth grade. By 11th grade, that number had dropped to 23 percent. Young urged educators and school district officials in the audience to adopt the Advancement Via Individual Determination program, known as AVID, in elementary schools. He called it “perhaps the most universally effective set of academic strategies in the nation.” AVID teaches students study skills, note-taking and collaboration skills and sets students on a career path to a college education. Today, it is offered mostly in middle and high schools. “In our county, AVID’s high school graduation rate is 99.9 percent,” Young said. “Ninety-five percent of our AVID students are successfully completing college prep courses and over 85 percent are successful in college.” Young also credited programs that reach out to underserved student populations such as the African American student initiative launched about two years ago by the Leadership Institute of Riverside County. “As I see so many dedicated people across our county giving their all – and then some – to help the children of the rising generation have a bright future, it motivates me to do more,” Young said in closing. “It inspires me with hope for the future.”