How does a school district improve its graduation rate at the end of the most turbulent year in generations? Students lost all semblance of stability. Educators had to learn entirely new methods for a radically changed classroom. Usual accountability and social interaction were nearly impossible to replicate. Uncertainty was part of daily life.

It’s a question worth asking. Many school districts in Oregon, including Hermiston, increased the number and percentage of four-year diplomas they conferred in 2021 despite the pandemic and its societal shockwaves.

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Some people have jumped on uncertainty in the state as proof that our school systems are at risk. It’s true that students and their families faced severe disruptions to their lives, affecting their economic well-being, mental health, educational prospects, and more.

School districts around Oregon responded to the pandemic within the context of Education Department guidelines, local leadership decisions, and community feedback. Public education is an essential service, but, as with all essential services, it had to change rapidly. This pandemic-induced uncertainty is still taking a toll, but it’s not insurmountable.

In Hermiston, we worked hard to stay true to the mission of ensuring an equitable education. We delivered laptops to every student and WiFi routers to areas and homes without sufficient internet access. Teachers personally checked in with families of students who weren’t logging in to online class. We ramped up a return schedule to make sure special needs and elementary students got back into the classroom as quickly as possible. By sheer force of will and talent and passion, teachers reached students going through the most difficult years of their lives and helped them move forward.

We have remained focused on quality instruction despite the pandemic. The state assessment for graduation was waived, but the skills required to pass it were not. Each Hermiston graduate in 2021 earned the same credits and showed the same essential proficiencies in reading, writing and mathematics as required in any other year. Beyond the core skills, they were required to earn the full range of credits in social arts, science, wellness, and create a career portfolio of electives.

The relationships teachers developed with students over the years continued to pay off through challenging times, especially for high school students. Even without the ability to meet in person for most of their senior year, the class of 2021 stayed on course and in Hermiston graduated at an 88% rate. Every cohort improved, regardless of ethnicity, economic situation, or disability. That’s an increase of 4.3% since the year before, and kept Hermiston on a trajectory of annual improvement.

The graduation rate isn’t a one-year accomplishment. Each diploma is an individual success story, and in most cases the product of 13 years of public education. The path starts in kindergarten and relies on dozens of teachers and staff who invest in the student year in and year out. They all play a role in the victory.

It’s gratifying to see the systems Hermiston has put in place that focus on individual student needs are working. Students who don’t speak English as a first language, are economically disadvantaged, or have learning disabilities all graduated at a rate higher than 80%.

Chronic absence in elementary school erodes the foundation of learning, so we actively engage with parents of students who aren’t attending class. Lack of rigor in middle school can hobble the transition into high school so we match 7th and 8th grade curriculum with what they’ll see as freshman and sophomores. Lost credits as a freshman can become an overwhelming hurdle as a senior so we employ coaches who take struggling students under their wing and help them retrieve credits before it’s too late.

Along the way there are numerous social, relational, mental, and emotional issues to attend to. Life happens, and helping students cope with the stresses and challenges can become as important as their academic progress. We’ve invested Student Success Act dollars in social workers to add an extra layer of support for our students.

The ripple effects of the pandemic will be felt for years. The disrupted social and emotional lives of thousands of Hermiston students will follow many of them all the way to graduation day. This will require not just a school response, but a community response. Finding support through churches, athletics, clubs, and other community activities is critical. This is something Hermiston has always excelled at.

The improved graduation rate at Hermiston High School is the sum total of more than a decade of work. And as the class of 2021 crossed the stage in staggered, COVID-safe groups, a new class of kindergartners prepared for their first day of school.

Dr. Tricia Mooney is the superintendent of the Hermiston School District.

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