Staff Writer

Graduation rates at Biddeford High School are on the rise as the district continues to implement programs to help students finish school.

Statistics that show more Biddeford students are staying in school are “very positive,” said Assistant Superintendent Jeff Porter. He said the number of students who drop out of school also has decreased.

The high school’s 2010 graduation rate was 82 percent, a rise from 76 percent in 2009. In 2004-05, 77 percent of Biddeford students graduated, compared to a statewide average of 87 percent. The graduation rate rose to just under 82 percent in 2005-06 and dropped to 76.49 percent the following year. The school recorded graduation rates of 79.4 percent in 2007-08 and 76.25 percent in 2009-09.

Graduation rates are based on a “cohort” of students who begin high school together and are tracked for four years. For example, the class of 2010 cohort was tracked from 2006 to 2010. Students who moved in and out of the school or took longer than four years to graduate are not included in the cohort.  

The school has seen some fluctuation in the number of students who leave school since 2005, when the state changed how dropout rates are calculated. Porter said the dropout rate includes students who take more than four years to graduate or who obtain a diploma through adult education.

 “Unfortunately with the state of Maine law like it is right now, a student is considered a dropout even if they graduated after four and a half or five years,” Porter told the school committee Jan. 11. “That’s just the way the law is right now.”

Biddeford recorded a dropout rate of 4.95 percent in the school year 2005-06; the state average was 5.42 percent. In 2006-06, the school dropout rate was 8.4 percent while the state average was 5.17 percent. The school dropout rate was 4.32 percent in 2007-08 and 5.13 percent in 2008-09. The school dropout rate in 2009-10 dropped to 3.25 percent.

 “I think this is a positive for us,” Porter said. “I hope this trend continues. This is a bump in our graduation rate and a decrease in our dropout rate.”

Porter said the increase in graduates and decrease in dropouts is proof the district’s programs are working. The district has had a dropout prevention committee since 2007 that works to find ways to keep students in school. The district now has a clear picture of the dropout situation and interviews students leaving school to see why, he said.

Other dropout prevention programs include a credit recovery program that allows 20 to 25 students to replace credits during summer. The district also has a consistent district-wide truancy protocol and Superintendent Sarah-Jane Poli works closely with the district attorney’s office on cases of families with consistent truancy problems, Porter said.

Porter said the district also creates attendance contracts for students and parents when students don’t come to school.

 “The schools all have different programs that are helping prevent students from being disenfranchised from the school,” Porter said.

The school committee gave initial approval at its meeting to drop the required number of credits to graduate from 26 to 24. School Committee Members Roberta Bernier, Peggy Bean and Nathan Mills voted against the measure.

Porter said Biddeford’s credit requirement is the highest in the state and its reduction could help students stay in school. Other districts in the area require students to complete 21 credits to graduate.

“It’s another obstacle for students not receiving a diploma,” Porter said.

Bernier said she doesn’t understand why it was necessary to drop the required number of credits. She also questioned what affect the change would have on honors students.

“It’s almost like we’re lowering the standards for these kids,” she said. 

Porter said the change would not affect honors students, who take more credits than required. He said the change is the result of many discussions over a long period of time. He said the change is not “dumbing down anything.”

“The feeling is yes, the dropout rate has gone down for this year. Will it continue to go down for the next three or four years? That’s the real question,” Porter said. “The students that we’re helping with this policy are the same students who struggle to get through school. They are not the students who are going to college.”

Committee Member Laura Seaver noted the change will reduce the number of required elective credits and will not affect core academic classes. Committee Member Tammy Fleurent said the district is “doing a wonderful job implementing new ideas and working together” to improve dropout and graduation rates.

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.