Report: State's graduation rates haven't improved

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High school graduation rates from 2014 have been released, and according to preliminary data released Monday by the Obama administration, the good news is that the rates continue to improve across the country.

The bad news, though, is that New Mexico is one of six states whose rates have not improved — or possibly worse, declined from last year.

But the decline isn't significant, according to the data. In 2013, New Mexico's high school graduation rate was at 70.3 percent. For 2014, it declined to 69.3.

According to Clovis Municipal Schools Deputy Superintendent Cindy Martin, Clovis schools offer “wraparound services” to students that may be struggling with family or health issues in an effort to keep students in school and ultimately graduate.

“Our goal is always to meet the needs of that particular student,” Martin said. “We try to meet the students where they are to help them stay in school and graduate.”

Martin said nurses, counselors and the family services department work together as a team to help students who may be sick find medical services, or if the student is a young parent, Martin said they will come up with a “creative” schedule to be in class and graduate.

And apparently it's worked; Martin said the Clovis High School dropout rate is relatively low. That, coupled with teachers that tutor students before and after school, is what she credits the low rate to.

“We don't have a high (dropout) rate, and I attribute that to those who work so hard,” Martin said. “We have a good, good group of people, and they work hard at trying to make kids stay in school, finish and be successful.”

Mark Gormely, the nine-week old principal at Portales High School, said he believes “it's maintaining high standards” and encouraging students to do their best work that keeps kids in school.

“A lot of it has to do with the environment you provide to students and give them the best opportunity to be successful,” Gormley said. “(Portales) is a great environment for kids to go to school. The staff is supportive, and we just have a great group of kids.”

But it's not all gravy — Gormley said the new PARCC test could pose a challenge to students thanks to the stress it puts on them to pass and graduate.

“It will pose a challenge in the future,” Gormley said. “A student can do coursework all the way through and not do well on a test, and we need to help them be successful in testing. They're under a lot of pressure; when you sit down and think, 'You don't pass, you can't graduate,' that's a tremendous amount of stress on a 17 year-old.”

Gormley said he's a firm believer in nurturing student-teacher relationships to help students succeed in class and keep stress levels down.

“We have to maintain a positive relationship with students so we encourage them and support them,” Gormley added. “It can be challenging when your class is loaded with 120 students, but that's what teachers do. If you're going to get the best out of your students, you have to sit down and figure out how to get them to be successful.”

2010 Rates:

Statewide: 67.3

Clovis: 80.2

Dora: 96.6

Elida: 89.4

Floyd: 91.1

Ft. Sumner: 88.9

Grady: 90.2

Melrose: 97.2

Portales: 79.9

Texico: >98.0

2013 Rates:

Statewide: 70.3

Clovis: 75.3

Dora: >98.0

Elida: 86.3

Floyd: 93.6

Ft. Sumner: 86.9

Grady: 95.2

Melrose: 89.1

Portales: 81.2

Texico: 92.1

2014 Rates:

Statewide: 69.3

Clovis: 72.5

Dora: 97.4

Elida: >98.0

Floyd: 84.0

Ft. Sumner: 87.3

Grady: 90.3

Melrose: 81.0

Portales: 81.4

Texico: 88.4