Page 6 - Sanger Herald 8-30-18 E-edition

SANGER HERALD 6A THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018
School board hears about state's new way to calculate
graduation rates and replacement for a key employee
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
The school district's special education program specialist Jason Stricker will replace Kimberly Salo- monson as director of pupil services.
Salomonson has accepted a position with WestEd, a research, development and services agency that works with education.
She held the director of pupil services position since 2011 when she replaced Matt Navo who was promoted to an "Academic Officer."
She was the district's edu- cator of the year in 2016.
The selection of Stricker to replace Salomonson was announced at the school board's Aug. 28 meeting by district superintendent Adela Jones.
Associate superintendent TimLopezreviewed forthe board the changes in meth- odology for calculating high school graduation rates.
In July the state superin- tendent of public instruction Tom Torlakson announced the new methodology that was adopted in response to a federal audit.
As part of the new meth- odology, three significant changes were implemented
Jason Stricker
for calculating 2017 high school graduation rates: (1) students who receive an adult education high school diploma are no longer con- sidered regular high school graduates; (2) students who pass the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) are no longer con- sidered regular high school graduates; and (3) students who transfer to adult educa- tion programs or a communi- ty college will remain in the denominator for the cohort calculation.
Using the new methodolo- gy, Sanger's 2016-2017 gradu- ation rate was reduced from 98.1 percent to 89 percent.
The overall state gradu- ation rate went from 83.8 to 82.7 percent.
Districts with more op- tions for students to graduate
dropped the most and dis- tricts with fewer options for graduation dropped the least.
"Sanger has has a robust and supportive adult school we use as an option for stu-
dents. The recalculated num- ber includes students who went to adult school, but does not count them as gradu- ates even if they receive a diploma. We will add other
measures of support and use adult school only sparingly with our present 12th grade students - but we will con- tinue to do what is in the best interest of all our students,"
said Lopez.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sang- erherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Hi-Lights staff receives $1,500 grant
Mike Nemeth/Sanger Herald
For the first time in Sanger High's history, Hi-Lights student newspaper was awarded one of 9 equipment grants from the California Press Foundation. Sanger Herald editor Dick Sheppard presented the $1,500 check during an Aug. 23 ceremony in class attended by administration. andstaff.Inthephoto,L-R,backrow:MariaMeraz,ValleyROP; KirstenCoronado,AP;andDick Sheppard, Sanger Herald; Front row, L-R: Genesis Ramirez, Aleandro Mancillas, Lupita Gonzalez, Isaac Garza, SHS principal Dan Chacon and Suriya "Bishop" Siriphoosit.
9-1-1 ceremony
Michael Montelongo
Former Assistant Secre- tary of the Air Force Michael Montelongo will be the featured speaker at Sanger High School's annual 9-1-1 ceremony on Sept. 11.
Thre will be a flag pole ceremony in front of the school from 7-7:45 a.m. and then a morning assembly in the high school multipurpose room from 8-9 a.m.
The public is invited.
Montelongo was nomi- nated by president George W. Bush as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for financial management.
He is a 21 year veteran of the U.S. Army, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academey and he received an M.B.A from Harvard Business School.
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