Educators confront alarming student readiness and graduation gaps

In a recent government meeting, officials discussed concerning educational statistics for Coos Bay, highlighting significant gaps in student proficiency and graduation rates compared to state averages. The meeting revealed that only 23% of students in Coos Bay are proficient in math, compared to 31% statewide. In reading, the figures are slightly better, with 38% proficiency locally versus 44% statewide. Alarmingly, the graduation rate stands at 69%, indicating that 31 out of every 100 students may not graduate, a situation deemed unacceptable by attendees.

The discussion also focused on early childhood education, particularly the readiness of kindergarten students. It was reported that 86% of incoming kindergarteners in Coos Bay are not prepared to read at grade level, raising concerns about foundational skills such as letter recognition. The officials acknowledged the potential impact of preschool programs, including Head Start, on improving readiness, although they noted challenges in measuring effectiveness due to various demographic factors affecting students' home lives.

Participants emphasized the need for targeted interventions to \"grow the green\" (increase proficiency) and \"reduce the red\" (decrease the number of students falling behind). The meeting concluded with a call for further data collection on preschool attendance and its correlation with student readiness, as well as a commitment to addressing the educational disparities affecting the community.