As a trustee, I have always looked forward to attending graduation ceremonies. There is a feeling of excitement and pride as the graduates take the stage and accept their diplomas. You can see it not only in the faces of the students, but their parents, grandparents and other family members as the student ascends the stage.
As our graduates take part in this life-changing moment, it is important to consider our other students and what they are facing as they work towards that big moment.
Let’s review some facts. In the 2011-2012 school year, 618 out of 725 12th graders graduated from Watsonville High. That represents an 85 percent graduation rate. For Aptos High, 280 12th graders out of 288 graduated that year, a 97.2 percent graduation rate. When compared to the state average of just 78.5 percent, one can start to appreciate the effort and work that is being done in our schools to help our students graduate.
To achieve these results the district has been focusing on partnering with several outside agencies dedicated to student achievement. The first, GEAR – Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs – is a federal grant that is administered locally by UCSC. This group provides supportive services to teachers, counselors and parents. By so doing they give this group of educators and parents tools so they can demonstrate what is required to get admission to college and the grade point average needed to get into a four year university. This type of outreach encourages students to stay on course as they work their way through high school.
The district has also partnered with Cabrillo College, UCSC, SJSU and CSUMB in an effort to expose students to what attending college will look like when a student graduates. As part of this outreach, Cabrillo College hosts a program every year where every 4th grader in the county is invited to Cabrillo’s campus. By doing so, these students are exposed to college and what that experience feels like. This year over 3,000 4th graders from around the county went to Cabrillo and got to see what college is all about.
With all of this said there is still gaps in the process that need to be addressed. First, counselors at the school site. Currently at Aptos Junior High due to budgetary constraints, the district only provides 20 hours of counseling for the school per week.
This situation is mirrored across the district at every junior high/middle school. AHS has three counselors, for example, for over 1250 students. These counselors are crucial in providing the academic and social services that help students to not only stay in school but to thrive as they work towards their academic futures.
The other piece that counselors provide is realistic information about the true cost of a college education. In this way, they are able to decipher both costs and the financial aid resources that may be available. As students start to look at their options and what their futures holds this information will give them a more realistic picture of what it is going to take to graduate and get to where they want to go. It will also help to give them the tools to get there.
All these facts and figures highlight that the district is actively working towards getting more students to graduation. By partnering with different organizations, utilizing resources like Cabrillo College and helping students to see all that college has to offer the district is helping students reach their full potential. That is something we all can be proud of on graduation day.
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Jeff Ursino, Trustee Area VII – Central Coast area: La Selva Beach and Rio Del Mar areas. [email protected]