N.M.’s Class of 2008 Dwindling

By Copyright 2007 Albuquerque Journal BY GABRIELA C. GUZMAN Journal Staff Writer

SANTA FE — So far, one in four members of New Mexico’s class of 2008 has checked out of his or her public high school.

Back in 2004, 30,158 freshmen passed through the doors of their high schools. At the end of this school year, 22,662 — or about 75 percent — were still enrolled, mostly as 11thgraders, according to a state Public Education Department report released this week to the Journal.

The ninth- to 11th-grade tracking is part of New Mexico’s new way of calculating the state’s graduation rate.

Starting with the 2004-2005 school year, the state’s Public Education Department began tracking each ninth-graders’ progress through high school. Department officials say the new method ultimately will give the state a better handle on its graduation rate.

Of the 22,662 New Mexico students still in high school, about 5,000 will most likely not be seniors next year, says the report.

A small number have earned enough credits to graduate early. But the majority are behind in credits and may take five years to graduate.

Department officials say if those students don’t catch up, they estimate next year’s graduation rate to be closer to about 58 percent.

There are many reasons why a student might fall behind in earning enough credits to graduate in four years, said New Mexico Education Secretary Veronica Garcia.

"There is a percent of students who need an extra semester to graduate. We want them to hang in there and finish," Garcia said.

New Mexico is ahead of most states in reporting its graduation rate, said Bridget Curran, director of the National Governors Association’s education division.

A number of states are just beginning to track a group of ninth- graders, she said.

Frustrated by the varying ways states calculated their graduation and dropout rates, the National Governors Association challenged governors to agree to a set standard.

Gov. Bill Richardson and other governors signed a compact with the association in 2005, agreeing to calculate graduation rates in a uniform manner. By 2012, all states are expected to report their rates.

Meanwhile, a national report issued this week by Education Week put New Mexico’s graduation rate for the 2003-2004 school year at 60.1 percent. But for that same year, the state of New Mexico — which used a different formula — reported a graduation rate of 89 percent to the federal government.

"The first step is getting the more accurate count," Curran said. "You can’t adequately deal with the problem until you know the scope of it."

Students drop out for a plethora of reasons, according to national reports.

Some students have to work to help their families. Some become teenage parents. And some simply find high school boring.

Two years ago, Savanna Vocke of Farmington thought her high school experience would end at 10th grade.

Last month, the 18-year-old crossed the stage and picked up her high school diploma at Rocinante High School, an alternative school in Farmington.

Vocke said she dropped out of her traditional high school as a sophomore because she didn’t feel "comfortable" or that anyone cared if she came to school or not.

"I didn’t feel like people noticed me. I felt like a loser," she said. "I didn’t feel like people were interested in knowing who I was. I was just another person."

Rocinante’s small classes and attentive teachers shepherded Vocke through her last two years of high school.

"I would not have graduated if it was not for this school," Vocke said of Rocinante. "I feel a lot more special here."

(c) 2007 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.