After seeing a slight dip in graduation rates and ACT scores, the Lauderdale County School District is looking at ways to improve those numbers.

The latest numbers, which officials discussed at a school board meeting on Thursday, are  based on the class of 2019. 

The district saw a slight decrease in graduation rates from 84.3 percent in 2018 to 82.8 percent in 2019. 

The district’s graduation rate increased from 80.6 percent in 2016 to 86.3 percent in 2017.

In the latest numbers, Clarkdale’s graduation rate was 89.3 percent, Northeast’s rate was 79.4 percent, Southeast’s rate was 80 percent, and West Lauderdale’s rate was 87.7 percent.

Ken Hardy, director of federal programs and accountability, said the goal is to increase the district’s graduation rate to 87 percent for the 2021 cohort and evaluate all students using Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) on academic, behavior ad social-emotional learning during each nine-week grading period.

The district’s plan includes decreasing student retention in early grades, offering dropout recovery programs such as summer school, helping students from juvenile detention facilities gradually move to alternative school placements, focusing on specific groups of students and offering a mentorship program to economically disadvantaged students.  

Another goal is to improve the 42 percent graduation rate for students with disabilities.

In addition to the district’s overall plan, schools with a graduation rate of less than 80 percent, such as Northeast and Southeast, are required to submit a plan, Hardy said. 

Josh Herrington, principal of Northeast High School, said the school’s plan includes  offering a mentorship program, determining student’s needs and career interests, increasing support for state-tested classrooms, increasing parental involvement, discussing data with students, getting students who dropped or have not registered for school back into the classroom and improving the school culture.

Other ideas include offering students in service learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom, increasing collaboration efforts with Ross Collins Career and Technical Center and identifying at-risk middle schoolers. 

Southeast Principal Russell Keene said the school will focus on building and strengthening relationships within the school community, provide interventions to at-risk students and improving cultural awareness. 

Keene said that each fall, staff will visit the homes of incoming fifth graders and freshman; in the spring, they will visit outgoing juniors. 

ACT scores

Concerning ACT scores, the district wants to increase its average composite score from 18.5 to 19 by spring 2021. 

The latest numbers are based on juniors who took the test in spring 2020. 

The district average was 18.5 for spring 2020, a decrease from 19.4 in spring 2018. The state average was 17.5. 

Clarkdale had an average score of 21.1, Northeast had an average score of 16.9, Southeast had an average score of 17 and West Lauderdale had an average of 19.8.

At Clarkdale, the scores improved from 20.5 in spring 2017 to 21.1 in spring 2020. At Northeast, scores dipped from 19.3 in spring 2017 to 16.9 for spring 2020. 

Southeast saw scores of 17.8 for both spring 2017 and 2018. The scores dipped to a 17.2 in spring 2019 and 17 in 2020.

West Lauderdale’s spring 2020 score is 19.8, an improvement of over the 19.3 average in spring 2019.

Hardy said juniors who took the test in the spring will have the opportunity to retake the test this fall. The district will provide ACT testing to sophomores, juniors and seniors on Oct. 6. 

New this year, ninth graders will take a test called pre-ACT grades 8-9, to help determine what areas they need to work on. Hardy said sophomores will also take a pre-ACT test.