DiLullo: Plans In Place To Address 23% Dropout Rate

had a graduation rate of 68 percent in the 2009-10 school year, according to the Rhode Island Kids Count report released June 27, compared with the state's 76 percent overall graduation rate.

That number puts Johnston ahead of the "core cities" like Pawtucket (57 percent at its two public high schools), Woonsocket (64 percent), and Central Falls (51 percent) — but behind other local communities, including Smithfield (91 percent), North Providence (80 percent), and Cranston (81 percent at Cranston East, 87 percent at Cranston West).

About 9 percent of students who began high school in 2006 returned for a fifth year in 2010-11, resulting in a dropout rate of 23 percent, according to Kids Count.

(The Kids Count report is attached to this article.)

Supt. Dr. Bernard DiLullo, interviewed by phone on June 28, said he is "disappointed in those numbers, but it isn't a surprise."

Johnston's graduation rate also resulted in an "Insufficient Progress" rating from the state Department of Education in its 2011 Report Card, released on May 5, DiLullo noted.

While he couldn't give specific numbers on the graduation rate for the class of 2011 — 193 seniors earned their diplomas this year — DiLullo said: "My bet is that it's going to be better."

DiLullo also explained that the school department has already been taking steps to address the dropout issue, including the planned return of the Alternative Learning Program — currently at Calef School — to the main high school building.

"The focus of the move is for the students to be exposed to all of the experiences and course offerings that are available at the high school," DiLullo said.

New courses at the high school — including robotics and auto-CAD (computer aided design), as well as new Advanced Placement classes — will be in the curriculum in 2011-12, DiLullo said, even as the town's contribution to schools remains the same for the fourth straight year.

"We're trying to get the high school moving forward and provide a more rigorous learning experience for the kids, and we're working together as a team to do that," DiLullo explained.

The state number of 76 percent — which tracks the number of students who graduate with their "cohort," or classmates with whom they started ninth grade — was up from 70 percent in 2007.

As part of its report, the Kids Count organization recommended that school districts set up "early warning systems" to find students who are at risk of leaving school and "implement multiple strategies to support each student on their path to graduation."

DiLullo said that Johhnston already has those systems in place, and will be working on improving them.

"One of the things we keep a very close eye on is retentions," he explained, since students who stay back are at increased risk of dropping out.

And just as the Kids Count study suggested, DiLullo said that achievement in reading by third grade is another critical factor that the local school district is watching.

"Reading ability is key — students need to be proficient by third grade to be successful all the way to high school," he explained.

DiLullo also said the district has plans to improve what he called "personalization" for all students in Johnston.

"You want to have someone in school whom every kid is connected to, so you can identify those high-risk kids," he explained.

In the face of the budget constraints, DiLullo said there are several things that he plans to preserve in order to improve student performance.

"Some of the things we may be losing are the extra supports we built in," like additional social workers, DiLullo explained — but added that he plans to keep a planned guidance counselor for the elementary schools.

"That (position) has to stay — I really believe that we need that kind of presence at the elementary schools," DiLullo said. "The cuts we're looking at, my hope is it's cuts that aren't going to directly affect the students' success in our schools."