Milwaukee High reports sharp gains in ninth‑grade attendance and on‑track rates

Milwaukee High School leaders told the North Clackamas School District Board of Directors on March 13 that targeted ninth‑grade supports, restorative practices and an AP support class have coincided with measurable improvements in attendance and students’ credit accumulation.

The presentation, delivered by Principal Kim Kellogg and assistant principals Greg Newman and Danielle McKay, said ninth‑grade on‑track rates rose to about 87 percent this year from about 77 percent last year, and that current ninth‑grade attendance is roughly 84 percent.

Kellogg said the school organizes ninth graders into four interdisciplinary teams (math, language arts and science taught in the same periods) so staff can coordinate interventions, celebrate progress, and monitor on‑track credit accumulation. "If kids aren't at school, they're not learning," Kellogg said while describing the school's emphasis on relationships and team time for intervention.

The school’s approach includes: - Ninth‑grade teams that meet twice a month to review attendance and on‑track data and to coordinate supports across a student’s full schedule. Kellogg said teams track whether a ninth grader has reached three semester credits at midyear and six by the end of the year. - Attendance cohorts of about 10 students, coordinated two‑week progress checks and use of "Mustang money" incentives, postcards and parent contacts to reengage students. Assistant principal Danielle McKay said the cohorts focus on students hovering in the 75–85 percent attendance range to push them toward higher attendance. - A restorative practices pilot and community circles intended to repair relationships and prevent repeated disciplinary issues. McKay described restorative chats, parent conversations and individualized support plans as alternatives to more punitive responses. - Expanded AP access and supports: the school increased the number of AP course sections and piloted an AP support class for first‑time AP students. Kellogg said the AP support class helped the participating students pass their AP coursework this year. - A stricter cell‑phone policy in classrooms (teachers request phones be in pouches), which staff told the board they believe has improved engagement.

School leaders credited a combination of data reviews, shared expectations and what they called the "Mustang way"—student‑developed values of pride, courage, kindness and resilience—for the changes. "We're being consistent, we're looking at data, we're making decisions based on the data, and then we're following up and we're including the parent in the conversation," Kellogg said when asked how the team model drove gains.

Board members asked about details of the cohorts, whether team time reduced instructional minutes and how AP students are supported. McKay said cohorts are intentionally small to allow staff to learn students’ stories and that the team time is scheduled within existing periods so instruction is not lost. She said the AP coordinator runs informational meetings, teacher professional development and individual check‑ins, and the support class is a semester‑long offering for first‑time AP students.

Student speakers included short remarks about belonging and participation in clubs and cultural events; the board took those comments as evidence the school’s engagement strategies reach a range of learners.

Kellogg and McKay invited board members to visit the building to see the school’s attendance and engagement strategies in practice. The presentation closed with board members praising the gains and asking staff to continue tracking outcomes as the cohort and AP interventions mature.