Poteau High principal reports higher ACT scores, lower adjusted dropout rate

Poteau High School Principal Mr. Ballard presented the annual student college remediation and dropout report to the Poteau School Board, using data from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the state education department.

Ballard said the data available are typically two to three years behind. He reported 49 students in the freshman cohort seeking a first-time degree and said four students required English remediation while eight students required math remediation in college, and that the district’s remediation rate was 21.3 percent — the lowest among several comparator schools he displayed. “Now, this information is at least 2 years old,” Ballard said, noting the Regents’ reporting lag.

He told the board the district had 49 graduates entering college that fall and a total of 63 who attended college by the following spring. He highlighted the high school’s ACT performance: a six-year view shows last year’s composite average was 19.2, higher than the state average he cited of 17.6.

On dropouts, Ballard said the state counts students who complete adult-education or Job Corps programs as dropouts for these measures. He reported 17 dropouts last year out of 161 graduates for an 89 percent graduation rate, but said removing students flagged for removal (e.g., confirmed transfers) reduced the count to nine dropouts and raised the graduation rate to 93 percent. He said the state has moved the cohort definition to six years rather than four.

Ballard concluded that the numbers show the district is advancing college and career readiness and welcomed questions from the board.