The teenagers who made up the Class of 2016 at Jefferson Jr./Sr. High School weren’t much different from students who came before them.
A lot of them qualified for government-subsidized lunches, an indicator of poverty. For many, English was a second language. Some had switched schools multiple times. This group, however, distinguished itself by one important measure — graduating on time.
Eighty percent of Jefferson Jr./Sr. High School seniors last school year graduated in four years — a much higher percentage of students than in past years. The Class of 2015 had a 64 percent on-time graduation rate, making for a stunning turnaround.
The Colorado Department of Education released graduation rates last week showing the state reaching a six-year high while local districts in the metro area saw increases and two posted some drops. The Jefferson County school district had a graduation rate of 82.8 percent in 2016, virtually unchanged from the 82.9 percent rate in 2015.At Jefferson, school officials credit their jump to changes made during the Class of 2016’s sophomore year, when new school leaders arrived to try new ideas for improving the school by adding dual language classes, increasing teacher training and adding more advanced coursework.
For more on this story, go to .
Chalkbeat Colorado is a nonprofit news organization covering education issues. For more, visit .
