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Collinsville,
Oklahoma February 9, 2010 School Dropout Update |
Proposed
Oklahoma Law To Encourage Keeping Dropout Rates Low /
Collinsville
Already Doing Better Than Most
 This web site is brought to you by the Newspaper Museum In Collinsville and the other advertisers appearing on these pages. If you would like to provide news content or advertisements ... call Ted Wright (918) 371-1901 or send email to wrightted@aol.com. 1110 W. Main, Collinsville, OK 74021 Frequently Asked Questions |
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(email questions/comments to wrightted@aol.com). Ted Wright -- last update 2/9/2010 (SchoolDropouts.html) www.cvilleok.com Copyright 2010 -- Collinsville, Oklahoma |
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| Jon, I will likely run this press release on cvilleok.com in the next few days. I would like to add at least a comment on Collinsville's drop out rate which I recall is better than average? -- Thanks, Ted Wright (2/5/2010) |
| Thank
you for giving us an opportunity to comment. We are always looking for a better way to educate the students of Collinsville High School. There are always special situations that are challenging to a percentage of our students. These circumstances can make dropping out of school seem like the only choice. We have taken steps to offer alternative choices for these students with our Alternative School and creative scheduling. The faculty and staff desire very much for all our students to get their diplomas and to lead successful lives after high school. We will continue to develop more choices as our means of operation and staffing allows. This is something that we meet regularly on and intend to do all we can to service all of our students. Our 2009 dropout rate was 2.7%. Jon Coleman Principal Collinsville High School |
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CHS numbers from 2/8/2010 School Board Meet: Collinsville lost a net 20 students during 2008-2009 in grades 7th-12th. Twenty-three dropped out but three re-entered. Following a single class for the past 4 years through their senior year showed 18 dropouts. |
Collinsville's
Alternative School is one of the reasons the district's dropout rate is so low.
(Previous Coverage) & (Tulsa
World 3/2/2009 Article) |
Oklahoma
State Senate Press Release |
Moving
Oklahoma Forward Through Education
When it comes to improving lives in our community and in our state, one of the best ways to accomplish that goal is to keep our young people from dropping out of high school. I believed that when I was first elected to the State Senate, and as Senate Education Chairman today, I am even more convinced of this truth. Yet the fact is on the average only 75 out of 100 Oklahoma freshmen complete high school; the numbers are even lower for minorities and in some schools. Only 44 out of those 100 students will actually go to college, but only 17 will earn a degree. Our prisons and welfare roles are filled with individuals who never completed their educations. Whether these men and women are in the custody of the Department of Corrections (DOC) or relying on services provided by the Department of Human Services (DHS), ultimately Oklahoma taxpayers are impacted by this state’s drop out rate. Nearly a third of Oklahoma adults on food stamps failed to graduate high school or earn a GED. In 2009, 51 percent of incoming DOC inmates reported they were drop outs. If we want to turn Oklahoma around, then we’ve got to turn our high drop out rates around. This session I’ve authored SB 2139 which creates a formula for schools to set new graduation targets. Those schools would be given two years to meet those goals. Schools unable to meet their graduation target rate will receive assistance from the State Department of Education to develop and implement a plan to improve graduation rates. Once those goals have been met, new targets will be established. Ultimately, the goal of every high school in this state should be a graduation rate of 100 percent. The rewards for achieving these goals will be tremendous. The average yearly salary for a drop out is just over $19,000. The federal poverty level for a family of four is just over $22,000. But on average, a person with a high school diploma earns more than $28,600 a year. If that individual then attains an associate’s degree, their average earnings jump to more than $36,000. With a bachelor’s degree, the average salary jumps to more than $51,500 a year. Over a lifetime, the difference in earning potential between a high school diploma and college degree is $1.4 million. Clearly, one of the most important components of a comprehensive approach to improving Oklahoma’s economy and the quality of life for our citizens must be improved graduation rates. Our youth, our communities, and our state have much to gain if we do—and just as much to lose if we do not.
Sen. John Ford is chairman of the Senate Education Committee and represents Craig, Nowata and Washington counties. |
bennett@lsb.state.ok.us |
