Number of high school grads below provincial average, but improving

Algoma District School Board (ADSB) officials are generally pleased with numbers showing an increase in graduation rates within their board’s system.  

Marcy Bell, ADSB superintendent of education, shared follow-up information regarding students who began Grade 9 in the 2013-2014 school year with administrators and trustees at their regular meeting Tuesday.

The grad rate is published five years after students begin Grade 9, though there are officially only four years of formal education in high school, Bell explained.

78.3 per cent of ADSB students in the 2013-2014 Grade 9 cohort went on to graduate from high school by 2017-2018, a 5.9 per cent increase for the board.

That compares with an 86.3 per cent graduation rate for the province, though Bell noted that’s a slight decline for the provincial rate.

“There’s a committed effort at really promoting student success for our kids in our system, “ Bell told the board.

Seven hundred and thirty-three of 800 students in the 2013-2014 Grade 9 cohort stayed in the ADSB system, while 67 moved to other boards in Ontario.

Of the 733 who stayed, 584 graduated, 77 others classified as ‘early leavers’ still within the system pursuing their high school diploma, while another 72 are pursuing high school diploma alternatives, such as an Ontario Secondary School Certificate, Bell said.

Co-op opportunities, the board’s house building project and the Specialist High Skills Majors program (which allows students to focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests while pursuing a high school diploma, an example of which is the ADSB Aviation and Aerospace program) have been contributing factors in helping students graduate, Bell said.

“We do see there is an improvement...we see continued work we need to do in meeting the provincial graduation rate, but we do feel we’re moving in the right direction,” Bell told the board.

Meanwhile, Lucia Reese, ADSB director of education, delivered her annual report for 2018 to the board.

“We have 300 employers who host our students into their businesses and work sites, and I just want to acknowledge that and publicly thank our community partners who do that, to give our kids the opportunity to experience that kind of learning and bring work into their schooling and schooling into the workplace. I think it’s remarkable and I think that’s a fantastic number,” Reese said.

In 2018, the ADSB had 240 students involved in cooperative education with local employers (141 male students, 99 female), along with 101 students who were Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) candidates.

Reese also pointed out the board is marking its 40th year of French immersion education.

In addition, 375 ADSB staff members took part in Behaviour Management Systems (BMS), a course developed to ensure a respectful learning environment at school.

BMS provides training for enhancing desirable behaviour and for understanding, preventing, and coping with undesirable behaviour.

Reese informed the board her 2018 report, covering a variety of ADSB areas of interest, is now available for staff and public viewing on the board’s website.