Fayetteville's Haas Hall Leads State High School Graduation Rate

Haas Hall Academy and Elkins High School are honored as being among the top 20 schools with the highest graduation rates in Arkansas.

A report, "Graduation Rates in Arkansas," produced by the Office of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas, was released Wednesday for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years.

Haas Hall had a 100 percent graduation rate for the past two years. Superintendent Martin Schoppmeyer, founder of the charter high school, said the perfect rate is the result of total commitment from stakeholders from dedicated scholars, parents and faculty.

Schoppmeyer added, "Complacency is not an option here."

Seven other Arkansas high schools have 100 percent overall graduation rates, according to the report. They are Lisa Academy, Mammoth Spring, Mount Ida, Oark, Scranton, Umpire and Wickes.

Elkins had a 99 percent graduation rate for 2013, which was up from 94 percent in 2012.

Graduation rates for the largest school districts in Benton and Washington counties are: Bentonville, 86 percent; Fayetteville, 88 percent; Rogers Heritage, 84 percent; Rogers, 92 percent; Springdale Har-Ber, 92 percent; and Springdale, 86 percent.

Officials in Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville didn't respond to an email and a phone call Wednesday afternoon.

Steve Jacoby, Fayetteville High School principal, said the district is pleased with its rate but noted, "We obviously have work to do with segments of our student body. We want to help find alternate ways for the students to finish high school, such as night school, concurrent enrollment with a college or university or credit recovery programs."

Statewide, the average overall graduation rate is 87 percent, according to the report.

The rates are based on the number of freshmen who continue through their senior year and graduate after four years. The report takes into account a student who moves from one district to another before graduation and includes that student in the rate at the new school, said Gary Ritter, a professor of education and public policy who heads the Office of Education Policy.

Previously, the mobile student was counted as a nongraduate at his old school, Ritter said. The rates include students who graduate high school in the summer following completion of courses during a summer term but don't count a student who's in high school for a fifth year, he said.

The report doesn't separate students who attend alternative learning centers operated by school districts. They are counted as graduates of the district's high school.

The report provides a better way to look at the number of graduates coming out of the state's 273 high schools, including charter schools, Ritter said.

In addition to the overall graduation rate for each school, the report includes the rate for the Targeted Achievement Gap Group of students in each school, which is generally a few percentage points lower than the overall rate. The targeted group includes poverty students who are enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program; special education students and students with limited English proficiency.

Haas Hall and Elkins had a 100 percent rate for Targeted Achievement students in 2013. A year earlier the group graduation rate in Elkins was 92 percent and 100 percent for Haas Hall.

Another key finding in the report is the graduation rate at high schools with an enrollment less than 350 students are greater than larger schools. Benton County School of the Arts with 223 students had a rate of 95 percent and Decatur with 107 students had 96 percent.

Ritter said he didn't know why but said teachers have more connections with students in smaller schools and there's less chance for students to fall through the cracks.

Paula Wheeler, Elkins High School principal, agrees.

"We work to eliminate the barriers students may have," Wheeler said. Teachers are able to work on a personal level with students, she said. "Our students don't give up. 'You can do this' and 'We can do this together' is the encouragement from teachers. We also have great community support."

Superintendent Dan Jordan said, "It starts with a professional staff and education with a personal touch. Our teachers go over and above to ensure student achievement."

NW News on 05/08/2014