IPS celebrates grad rate successes

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The state Department of Education reports 85.7 percent of Indiana high school students graduated last school year.

That's a slight increase – 1.6 percent - over the previous year.

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If you're looking for a graduation rate success story within Indianapolis Public Schools, look no further than Washington Community High School.

There, 77 percent of the student body graduated last school year. That's a 30 percent increase over the past 3 years.

"We go with an idea of high expectations and high support. We really, in the last two years, increased our academic expectations of kids," said Principal Deb Leser.

Staff and faculty face major challenges: The school has a high poverty rate, 20 percent of students are learning English as a second language and 25 precent require special education.

Leser attributes the rise in graduation rate to the support the school receives from the community. The school has 62 community partners.

"We have 140 tutors a week here in the building from IUPUI, Butler University, that work and tutor our kids during the day and after school," she said.

Graduation rates at area suburban schools are 15 percent to 20 percent higher than the majority of IPS high schools.

Last year, Zionsville had a 97 percent graduation rate. Carmel High School had a 95 percent graduation rate. Both Hamilton Southeastern High School and Fishers High School had a 94 percent graduation rate.

But IPS is seeing significant increases, and Washington Community ranked in the top half of IPS high schools for 2010-11 graduations rates. Leser said getting kids to graduate from high school is only part of the plan.

"Not only are we really proud of the fact that 77 percent of our kids are graduating high school, but 100 percent of our graduates last year were accepted to a two- or four-year college."