Before schools closed for the holidays, Central High School principal Dr. Mike Cowan sat in his office with a parent and her child, who vowed to drop out. The student was failing every subject. In February she would be 16, the legal age in Missouri to quit school.

"She said to me in a polite way, 'Dr. Cowan, there is nothing you can do.'... In her mind, high school is not relevant. That was a heartbreaking situation, but not an atypical situation," Cowan said.

Central has long struggled with its graduation rate, consistently among the lowest of 13 Southeast Missouri districts, especially for the black population.

In 2006, only 59 percent of black students graduated. In 2007, the number increased to 71.8 percent, data released recently from the state shows. But administrators aren't celebrating.

While the graduation rate increased, so did the black dropout rate -- significantly -- from 2.5 percent to 15.7 percent.

While this may seem counterintuitive, the discrepancy relates to how the figures are calculated. A graduation rate looks at students from a single class, the percent of seniors who received diplomas. A dropout rate looks at the number of students in a single year, from any grade, that quit school.

The high dropout rate this year could mean low graduation rates in the future, since most students quit their sophomore year when they turn 16, said Tom Ogle, the director of school core data for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Cowan calls the rate troublesome but warns against putting too much stock in a one-year spike, saying numbers need to be considered over a three- to five-year period.

From 2003 to 2007, the percent of black students dropping out has fluctuated: 12.8 percent, 10.5 percent, 13.1 percent, 2.5 percent and 15.7. The state average was 6.4 percent over the five-year span.

The 2006 rate, a clear anomaly, causes Cowan to question its accuracy. Nevertheless, the 2007 percentage is well above a five-year average of 10.9 percent.

As the black dropout rate increases, so has the dropout rate among white students, up from 3.8 percent in 2003 to 8.8 percent in 2007. The five-year average is 5.2 percent.

When asked about the dropout rate, interim superintendent Pat Fanger said, "I am not prepared to answer that question yet."

She said she will make a presentation to the school board Jan. 28 about the issue.

Beating the odds

Shanelle Johnson, 19, almost became a statistic when she quit school at 16 to take care of her son, DeMarion, now 3.

"Everyone in my family had a job, so it was hard to be able to find a baby sitter. I had to be a stay-at-home mom. I didn't have time for school," Johnson said.

Formerly a straight-A student and seventh grade class president, Johnson said she thought about school constantly while at home.

"I kept thinking, 'I need to go to school, I need to go to school,'" she said.

Eventually, DeMarion's father, a musician, moved to Cape Gir-ardeau to watch his son during the day.

Johnson returned to school, at the Alternative Education Center, and will graduate this year. She will have enough credits to graduate when the quarter ends in March, just in time for the due date of her second child.

"I'm very proud of myself. Around here, you don't see a lot of teen mothers graduate," she said.

New efforts

Cowan and Carla Fee, the director of the Alternative Education Center, point to several steps the district has taken to hopefully increase the graduation rate.

Fifth- and sixth-graders are now served by the Alternation Education Center, in an effort to catch at-risk students earlier.

High school is frequently too late to convince a student about the benefit of education or catch them up academically, Cowan said.

Started this month, the middle school program at the AEC serves three students, but can expand to 10. The small environment and strict expectations are intended to help the students get on track for a successful return to the traditional school environment.

Previously the AEC served about 100 students in grades 7 to 12.

"If caught earlier, it's a little easier to change behaviors," Fee said.

Next year the high school is implementing a transition program for freshmen, the most vital year in determining whether a high school student will graduate, Cowan said.

Approved by the school board Oct. 15, Preparing for Academic Success classes will provide a time for tutoring, the development of four-year graduation plans, social skills presentations and career planning.

Cowan said the career counseling is essential so students see the relevance of high school.

"The kids that drop out are clueless about what they want to do. They don't have a vision, a goal. This will provide an opportunity to help students identify what they want to do, so the courses have meaning to their lives and futures," he said.

Exploratory courses will be offered at the Career and Technology Center a year earlier for sophomores, and a district transition coordinator has been added to help students plan for post high school. Darin Stageberg, the coordinator, arranges job shadowing for students or trips to local colleges.

Johnson knows she wants to continue with school after graduation. Her plan is to major in performing arts or dance, and she is currently working on a portfolio.

DeMarion will be at her graduation, and she hopes he can see the progress she's made.

"I want to be an inspiration for him," Johnson said.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123

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By the numbers

Dropout rate

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Black dropouts 28 24 35 7 47

By percent 2.8 10.5 13.1 2.5 15.7

White dropouts 42 51 71 26 85

By percent 3.8 4.7 6.3 2.5 8.8

Total dropouts* 77 77 110 34 136

By percent 5.7 5.7 7.8 2.5 10.3

Graduation rate

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Black graduates 61 20 31 32 51

Cohort** black dropouts 21 11 26 22 20

Graduates by percent 74.4 64.5 54.4 59.3 71.8

White graduates 230 217 217 256 200

Cohort white dropouts 39 26 43 45 53

Graduates by percent 85.5 89.3 83.5 85 79.1

Total graduates* 297 246 252 297 253

Cohort dropouts 65 38 69 70 78

Graduates by percent 82 86.6 78.5 80.9 76.4

*Includes Asian, Indian and Hispanic students.

A graduation rate looks at a single class, while a dropout rate looks at a single year. A cohort is a group of students from a certain class.