FCSD BOE Discusses Growing Graduation Rates

Image from FCSD Communications YouTube channel.

FULTON –  During last night’s Fulton City School District Board of Education meeting, September 28, the board discussed the growing graduation rates of the district.

Full video of the meeting can be found here.

Public Comment: 

Renee O. – Asked where to get information on the curriculum and was advised to reach out to the building’s principal if the teacher does not respond. 

Travis D. – Discussed what instruction is offered to students while they are quarantined due to COVID-19. He said he does not think assignments online are a sufficient education when students are quarantined. Superintendent Brian Pulvino said the district is looking at different ways to better avoid reasons to quarantine and he will reach out with updates.

Rebecca H. – Talked about the face mask mandate in the district and why she does not support it.

Superintendent’s Report:

Announced the BOE member Junior-in-Waiting as Molly L., who will be the student representative during her senior year. 

The board then discussed the Class of 2021’s graduation and how its numbers compare to a few years previous. Executive Director of Instruction and Achievement Dan Carroll proudly shared that graduation rates have increased for the 2017 cohort (Class of 2021) in comparison to the 2009 cohort (Class of 2013). 

  • All Students: 2009 cohort 65%; 2017 cohort 86%
  • Students with Disabilities: 2009 cohort 37%; 2017 cohort 77%
  • General Education: 2009 cohort 69%; 2017 cohort 88%
  • Economically Disadvantaged: 2009 cohort 51%; 2017 cohort 78%
  • Not Economically Disadvantaged: 2009 cohort 80%; 2017 cohort 95%

“We have a lot to celebrate in terms of the progress that’s been made over this past decade,” Carroll said. 

G. Ray Bradley High School Principal Donna Parkhurst said the gap between economically disadvantaged students’ and non-economically disadvantaged students’ graduation rates can be seen to get smaller. She discussed the programs that have contributed to these numbers.

These include: 

  • Dual enrollment courses and career pathways, such as P-Tech and ECHS
  • Comprehensive student support structure, such as guided study hall and an SEL success coach
  • Engaging extracurricular activities
  • Opportunities for student voice
  • Professional collaboration
  • Alternative Education Program 

Parkhurst said 95% of this year’s senior class are still there since they entered the high school as freshmen. 

“We are committed to at least a 90% graduation rate, so we have a lot of structures in place to monitor our students,” Parkhurst said. “I am very proud of the work that our teams do here and that is another factor that comes into play for the students’ success here in our high school.”

During Superintendent Pulvino’s update on the beginning of this school year, the meeting was disrupted when a member of the audience refused to comply with the district’s policy to wear a face mask during the meeting. 

After a short break, the board returned and Pulvino continued his discussion on collecting data on students’ learning, saying he can provide further insight at a future meeting. Overall, he said while the district has some areas to improve, it is off to a good start. 

Lastly, he discussed the Maisto case, also known as the “Small Cities” case, which could impact funding for small city school districts. He said although FCSD is not one of the eight districts involved, it is about “sound basic education” programming and the impact of the lack of adequate funding over the decade, and could impact FCSD. 

The board then approved all items on the agenda, and took a brief break before going into Executive Session. The agenda can be found here  and the full video of the meeting can be found here

There will be a special BOE meeting to be held virtually on Thursday, September 30 at 6:30 p.m.

The next regularly scheduled BOE meeting will be Tuesday, October 12 at 6:30 p.m.

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1 Comment

  1. Have the TRUE graduation rates increased or have they figured out a way to show more students graduating. What are the statistics for those capable of going on with their education and the statistics of those having the ability to obtain gainful employment.

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