Nearly 20 percent of seniors failing

By Jaime North
The Daily Item

May 13, 2008 05:46 am

— DANVILLE -- Nearly 20 percent of Danville High School seniors may not graduate next month as some students are struggling to adjust to the new grading scale implemented this year, according to Craig Burger, high school principal.
Many of them, he said, still have a shot at earning their diplomas with the rest of the class if they raise their grades during the final marking period, which ends June 4. Burger said the key difference from last year is the higher grading scale adopted by the school board.
Up to 40 of the 206 members of the senior class were identified in February, after the first semester, as being in trouble, according to Burger.
"Passing (grades) has changed this year at the high school from a 60 percent to 70 percent," Burger said. "The grade scale changed over the past couple of years, starting at the elementary level to the middle school level and then this year to the high school."
Although the estimated 20 percent failing rate is more than four times the average Danville has had in recent years (five seniors failed to graduate last year out of a class of 198), the rate remains on par with the rest of the state (21.7 percent), according to the latest Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children's study of graduation rates.
Additionally, the high school was recognized last year as one of the most challenging schools in the country for students. Danville High School was among the top 5 percent in the nation and top 19 in the state, according to Newsweek magazine.
Allan Schappert, school board president, said the failure estimates from February may not be reflective of the current situation, as well as in comparison to last year.
"I don't know if it's a real problem or not, since it's two different points of time we're comparing," Schappert said. "Last year, we may have had 50 who were in jeopardy and ended up getting a swift kick in the butt that put them over the hurdle. By raising our standards, I'm sure has had some impact on those who have been complacent and counting on some kind of last-minute reprieve coming through, which has not happened or will it happen."
Burger said the number of seniors on the fence for graduation this year is not definite. It will depend on how well students do on their final exams and their ability to raise grades during the fourth marking period.
Teachers have been working with identified students by offering one-hour tutoring sessions during the mid-day school period, Burger said.
"Every senior who is in danger of not commencing has known their situation since the beginning of second semester and what they need to do academically in order to pass required classes," Burger said. "Letters were mailed home to parents as well."
While the 20 percent rate is high, the higher grade scale should serve the students well in the long run, according to Schappert.
"Are we concerned about it? Of course, we are," he said. "We want all of our students to be successful, and not just for passing high school, but to be successful in college and other avenues they pursue. You cannot do that by letting them slide or by having lower standards. Dumbing things down so things look good addresses a symptom and not a root cause."
Even if Danville seniors don't meet requirements in time to graduate next month, Burger said they will have a chance to catch up in summer school, which begins on June 13 and requires a $120 fee for each course. Seniors who pass summer school classes will receive a diploma at the end of the summer session, he said.
n E-mail comments to jnorth@thedanvillenews.com.