Graduation Rate Remains Above State Average
As Iowa’s graduation rates continue to climb, Waukee Community School District (WCSD) remains ahead of the curve. The Iowa Department of Education released graduation rates and data from all Iowa high schools for the 2014-15 school year on May 3.
For the 2014-15 school year, 98.42% of students graduated in four years and 99.14% in five years. In Iowa as a whole, 90.8% of students graduated within four years, and 93.1% finished in five years.
Waukee’s dropout rate was a mere .14% in grades 9-12. Iowa’s average dropout rate for the 2014-15 school year was 2.5%.
This success could have only been achieved with the implementation of 21st century learning techniques throughout WCSD’s K-12 education system. Starting in elementary schools, students are taught to set goals and become leaders in their communities through programs like Leader in Me.
Leslie Perrigo is an Instructional Coach at Maple Grove Elementary, and she commented on the dynamic nature of curriculum at the elementary level. She said Maple Grove is always looking for more ways to “make learning irresistible through creativity and student conversation spaces as well as making students fall in love with the journey of goal setting just as much as the goal.” Incorporating practical skill sets and leadership qualities into core curriculum has become a best practice for Maple Grove.
Erica Beals is one of South Middle School’s seventh grade language arts teachers, and she is constantly looking for new ways to use technology in her classroom to further college readiness.
Beals said, “We’ve infused our College and Career Readiness Skills into language arts to prepare students for their futures. I also work intently to add technology skills through Google Classroom and I also teach timed writing– a valuable skill for life beyond K-12 education.”
Timberline School social studies teacher Sheila Rogers said, at its core, her teaching revolves around problem-solving. “My teaching strategies have adapted over the years to reflect a more directive style by adding more inquiry and problem based activities… Students learn to connect history to current events, and in turn they learn about their responsibilities as citizens to solve these problems,” Rogers said.
At every grade level, a WCSD student can expect to be challenged through nuanced lines of inquiry while building the necessary skills to succeed during and after their K-12 career. Waukee’s high graduation rates can in part be attributed to teachers’ comprehensive effort to educate students with cutting edge technology and curriculum, parent involvement and community support.
The full release from the Iowa Department of Education can be found here.
