The District School Board Ontario North East is releasing details on how it plans to combat its graduation rates, which rank amongst the lowest in the province. The DSBONE will be cracking down on student attendance, focusing on the evaluations of students, revising the role of its guidance department, and asking for monthly reports from student success teachers.
The four year graduation rate is 46.1 per cent, meanwhile the provincial average is 78.3 per cent. That low number is for a few different reasons: students without enough credits, insufficient community volunteer hours, mental health issues, and poor attendance.
Trustee Bob Brush, who represents Timmins, says the different school boards need to be sharing information. He says the Algoma Public School Board moved their graduation rates from 62 per cent to 69 per cent. He calls that a significant increase, and wants to know what they did to increase while the DSBONE didn’t move.
Director of Education, Linda Knight, says their strategies to improve graduation rates are proactive and consistent. She says their goal remains to encourage our students to stay in school and get their diplomas.
(With files from: Greg Rosser)
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