The Virginian-Pilot June 24, 2010

HEADLINE: Virginia weighs changes to progress measures

By Cheryl Ross

Last year, state high schools had to prove that about 61 percent of their students graduated within four years to meet certain federal requirements for student progress.

This summer, the bar could get higher.

State education officials are weighing a proposal that would require high schools to prove that at least 80 percent of their students are graduating with certain diplomas within four years.

The proposal is being made under pressure from the federal government. Officials say the new requirement would affect Virginia schools' abilities to meet certain federal goals.

"It sets a much higher bar," said Charles Pyle, spokesman for the state education department.

There are no federal sanctions for high schools that don't meet adequate yearly progress, Pyle said. Still, the goal should not be dismissed, he said.

The Virginia Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the proposed change today. If it's approved, U.S. Department of Education leaders will then have to endorse the state's plan before it can take effect, Pyle said.

Under the state's proposal, Virginia schools' on-time graduation rates would be measured by including two diplomas: standard or advanced studies. Currently, five types of diplomas are used to determine on-time graduation rates for federal accountability purposes.

Some school officials in South Hampton Roads expressed few worries about the proposal. The majority of the area's graduates currently earn standard or advanced studies diplomas, according to numbers on the state education department's Web site.

Even so, about a third of the area's high schools last year still failed to meet an 80 percent on-time graduation rate.

The proposal under consideration by the state today would also allow Virginia high schools to meet adequate yearly progress graduation goals if they can meet other standards, including showing a 10 percent reduction in their percent of non-graduates from year to year.

In Norfolk, for instance, only one of the city's five high schools last year met an 80 percent on-time graduation rate.

However, two schools improved their on-time graduation rates over the past two school years. Norview showed an increase from about 68 percent to about 72 percent, while Lake Taylor showed an improvement from 66 percent to 76 percent.

Gene Jones, the city's executive director for high schools, said the division has been working hard to improve its graduation rates.

"Each year has gotten better," he said.