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By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
KEYSER – Mineral County had three schools that reached or surpassed the board-imposed goal of 95 percent attendance rate for the 2010-2011 school year, and three more schools got within a half a percent of the goal.
In addition, the entire county was able to substantially reduce the dropout rate from 1.2 percent in 2009-2010 to .31 percent in 2010-2011.
Superintendent of Schools Skip Hackworth announced Tuesday evening during the regular board meeting that Fort Ashby Primary, at 95 percent, Frankfort Intermediate, with 96 percent, and New Creek Primary, with 96.1 percent, were the top three schools in terms of attendance rate for this past school year.
“For the second year in a row, the leading school was New Creek,” he said, noting that high attendance rates are especially difficult to reach for primary schools “with all the childhood illnesses out there.
“This is just outstanding,” he said.
FIS principal Dawn Burke and New Creek principal Robin McDowell were present to accept certificates from the board.
In addition, three other schools achieved at least 94.5 percent attendance rate: Burlington Primary, 94.7 percent; Fountain Primary, 94.5 percent; and Wiley Ford Primary, 94.6 percent.
The board members also noted that most of the county's schools were able to improve their attendance rate from the previous year.
(See SCHOOLS P. 5)
“Every school with the exception of two had a higher attendance rate than they had last year,” board member Terry LaRue said, congratulating the principals and attendance director Linda Marsh for their efforts to improve the rates.
“We're proud of you guys and we're proud of your schools,” board president Kevin Watson said. “Whatever you're doing, keep doing it.”
Board member Craig Rotruck attributed the rising rates to the caring attitude of the principals.
“You care and you worry about your students,” he told Burke and McDowell. “When they're not there, you check on them. That means a lot.”
Marsh told the Mineral County Board of Education members that she and the high school principals also worked very hard to improve the dropout rate over the past year.
“I was really worried about the dropout rate last year,” she said, noting that in the 2009-2010 school year, 40 students dropped out – 37 at Keyser High School and three from Frankfort High School.
Thirteen of the 40 went on to take the GED test, however, and two re-enrolled in classes, bringing the rate down to 1.2 percent.
“You were actually the fourth lowest dropout rate in the state,” she said. “No wonder the state is so concerned about the dropout rate.”
Wishing to do something about the rate, Marsh said she sat down with several key players in the county, including the principals of the two high schools, and “went through every one of those 40 students” to see what might have caused them to drop out.
“There was a variety of things and we looked at it all,” she said.
With that information in hand, the county formed the Team to Assist Students at Risk (TASAR) committee and met monthly to discuss what they could do to decrease the drop out rate.
The committee set up a list of criteria which each principal or counselor could use to determine whether or not a student could be considered at risk. Once an at-risk student was identified, they worked closely with him or her to keep them in classes.
“With all that, I'm proud to say we ended up with only nine people countywide who dropped out this year,” Marsh said.
“It's the lowest dropout rate we've ever had in the county.”
“We're going to keep going aren't we?” LaRue asked.
“Yes, we sure are,” Marsh told him.
Following Marsh's presentation, the board also approved several revisions to the county attendance policy which were actually mandated by the state.
The biggest change, Marsh pointed out, is that the age at which a student may drop out will increase to 17 with the incoming freshman class.
By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
KEYSER – Mineral County had three schools that reached or surpassed the board-imposed goal of 95 percent attendance rate for the 2010-2011 school year, and three more schools got within a half a percent of the goal.
In addition, the entire county was able to substantially reduce the dropout rate from 1.2 percent in 2009-2010 to .31 percent in 2010-2011.
Superintendent of Schools Skip Hackworth announced Tuesday evening during the regular board meeting that Fort Ashby Primary, at 95 percent, Frankfort Intermediate, with 96 percent, and New Creek Primary, with 96.1 percent, were the top three schools in terms of attendance rate for this past school year.
“For the second year in a row, the leading school was New Creek,” he said, noting that high attendance rates are especially difficult to reach for primary schools “with all the childhood illnesses out there.
“This is just outstanding,” he said.
FIS principal Dawn Burke and New Creek principal Robin McDowell were present to accept certificates from the board.
In addition, three other schools achieved at least 94.5 percent attendance rate: Burlington Primary, 94.7 percent; Fountain Primary, 94.5 percent; and Wiley Ford Primary, 94.6 percent.
The board members also noted that most of the county's schools were able to improve their attendance rate from the previous year.
(See SCHOOLS P. 5)
“Every school with the exception of two had a higher attendance rate than they had last year,” board member Terry LaRue said, congratulating the principals and attendance director Linda Marsh for their efforts to improve the rates.
“We're proud of you guys and we're proud of your schools,” board president Kevin Watson said. “Whatever you're doing, keep doing it.”
Board member Craig Rotruck attributed the rising rates to the caring attitude of the principals.
“You care and you worry about your students,” he told Burke and McDowell. “When they're not there, you check on them. That means a lot.”
Marsh told the Mineral County Board of Education members that she and the high school principals also worked very hard to improve the dropout rate over the past year.
“I was really worried about the dropout rate last year,” she said, noting that in the 2009-2010 school year, 40 students dropped out – 37 at Keyser High School and three from Frankfort High School.
Thirteen of the 40 went on to take the GED test, however, and two re-enrolled in classes, bringing the rate down to 1.2 percent.
“You were actually the fourth lowest dropout rate in the state,” she said. “No wonder the state is so concerned about the dropout rate.”
Wishing to do something about the rate, Marsh said she sat down with several key players in the county, including the principals of the two high schools, and “went through every one of those 40 students” to see what might have caused them to drop out.
“There was a variety of things and we looked at it all,” she said.
With that information in hand, the county formed the Team to Assist Students at Risk (TASAR) committee and met monthly to discuss what they could do to decrease the drop out rate.
The committee set up a list of criteria which each principal or counselor could use to determine whether or not a student could be considered at risk. Once an at-risk student was identified, they worked closely with him or her to keep them in classes.
“With all that, I'm proud to say we ended up with only nine people countywide who dropped out this year,” Marsh said.
“It's the lowest dropout rate we've ever had in the county.”
“We're going to keep going aren't we?” LaRue asked.
“Yes, we sure are,” Marsh told him.
Following Marsh's presentation, the board also approved several revisions to the county attendance policy which were actually mandated by the state.
The biggest change, Marsh pointed out, is that the age at which a student may drop out will increase to 17 with the incoming freshman class.
