Hermiston SD 8 reports small graduation gains, unveils "Portrait of a Graduate" rollout

District staff presented a multi-year review of graduation rates and a new K–12 "Portrait of a Graduate" initiative at the Hermiston School District board meeting on Feb. 10, emphasizing improved ninth‑grade on‑track rates, gains for students with disabilities and the role of CTE programs in boosting graduation.

Scott Depew and district colleagues told the board the district has seen signs of recovery since pandemic-era declines. Staff said the district’s four‑year graduation rate rose year over year (staff reported a 1.8 percentage‑point increase from the prior reporting period) and that attendance and ninth‑grade on‑track metrics show improvement: the class of 2025 had an 88.9% freshman on‑track rate and staff reported 90.3% of students on track at the semester reporting point.

Presenters singled out several subgroups: students with disabilities showed the largest year‑to‑year graduation improvement; students identified as English learners during high school remain a challenge (district staff reported 61 seniors in that category, with 32 earning diplomas last year); and students participating in CTE were more likely to graduate — CTE participants graduated at 88.95%, and CTE concentrators (two credits in a pathway) graduated at about 98.34%.

District staff linked gains to targeted programs such as credit recovery, summer transition classes and career-technical pathways, and said improving elementary and middle‑school attendance remains a priority because consistent attendance correlates with later success. The presenters noted Oregon law limits some reactive attendance enforcement tools for secondary students but said the district has added re‑engagement capacity in earlier grades.

As part of the presentation the district announced a soft rollout of a "Portrait of a Graduate" — a K–12 framework, developed by a steering committee, that emphasizes skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, resilience and character. The district plans classroom posters, parent-facing materials at conferences and work on rubrics so teachers can intentionally embed those skills across subjects.

Why it matters: staff said the combination of improved attendance, stronger ninth‑grade on‑track rates and expansion of CTE pathways should support continued gains in graduation rates; the portrait effort aims to make nonacademic skills explicit and consistent across K–12 instruction.

What reporters observed: staff provided multiple numerical details (enrollment 5,275 K–12 as of Jan. 31; class-of-2025 freshman on‑track 88.9%; CTE concentrator graduation 98.34%); presenters described the portrait as a multi‑year effort and said a soft rollout would include posters in classrooms and family engagement at conferences. Board members asked how the district would measure progress and how parents could support the work at home.

Next steps: staff said they will finalize materials and rubrics, continue summer and credit‑recovery programs and present an academic calendar recommendation to the board in March; no new funding was approved during the Feb. 10 meeting.