Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 1-19-18

Local
School District Achieves Highest Graduation Rate
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last week, the Hillsbor- ough County Public School District learned that it had a significant increase in its graduation rate. In fact, the rate increased to 82.9%, which is the highest gradu- ation rate in the history of the District.
It is also higher than the state rate. Jeff Eakins, Hillsborough County School District Superin- tendent said, “I want to con- gratulate all of our students for taking our District to new heights. A diploma opens so many more doors for these students with op- portunities for better jobs with higher wages.
“Out of our 27 tradi- tional high schools, none are below an 80% gradua- tion rate. I am so proud of all of our teachers, adminis- trators, school staff and Dis- trict employees who never lost sight of our goal, and that’s putting students first.”
The Florida Department of Education released high school graduation rates last week.
A few of the highlights include: Armwood High School, which increased its graduation rate by 13.2 per- centage points over last year, to an 85.7% gradua- tion rate and Chamberlain High School which in-
BY JEFF EAKINS Superintendent, Hillsborough County School District
creased its graduation rate by 12.8 percentage points in one year to 85.3%.
Tampa Bay Tech High School now has the highest graduation rate in the Dis- trict at 97.6%.
Over the last five years, Middleton High School has increased its graduation rate by a remarkable 32.6 percentage points. Middle- ton High School now stands at an 80.5% graduation rate.
Leto High School im- proved their graduation rate by 18.7 percentage points over the last five years and is now at 85%.
The District has also been steadily closing the achievement gap – the dif- ference in academic per- formance between groups of students. The District continues to see an increase in all key areas, including African American students
(up 4.9% percentage points over last year), Hispanic students (up 4.9%), Excep- tional Education students (up 6.1%) and English Lan- guage Learners (up 8.8%).
The graduation rate was 73.5% when Superintend- ent Eakins was appointed as Superintendent. One of his goals was to increase the graduation rate up to 90% by the year 2020.
Native Americans To Wear Eagle Feather
Last Thursday, Super- intendent Eakins also announced that several Na- tive American students in Hillsborough County Public Schools will be allowed to wear the feather of an eagle during their graduation cer- emony.
Approximately 17 stu- dents from Federally recog- nized tribes will wear the eagle feathers. Students must be nominated and se- lected for this honor by their tribe. The students will place the feather with their tassel on their graduation caps.
The School District be- lieves this distinction will allow students to honor their heritage and recognize their cultural beliefs. Eagle feathers symbolize the strength it took to reach a milestone, such as gradua- tion, and represent the strength and power of an eagle soaring through life.
One Church One Child Of Florida, Inc. Seeks Homes For Children Who Need A Family
Challenges Communities to Seriously Consider Adopt- ing or Mentoring Siblings
This is an urgent and im- portant question that must be raised time and time again, but each time, there is a different child or chil- dren.
One Church One Child of Florida is reaching out to families and individuals in local communities across the state in efforts to help share the truth that there are children waiting for a permanent home and/or mentor.
Daily, over 700 children are in need of a family to call their own; many of them are minorities.
Can you provide a loving, permanent home for these children or consider becom- ing their mentors?
Churches are asked to partner with One Church One Child in sharing infor- mation with congregations and extending Watch-Care Ministries to children.
Rev. Beverly Hills Lane, State President for One Church One Child of Florida and Vice-President for National One Church One Child, is challenging fellow pastors to get in- volved and encouraging families to open their hearts and homes to children in foster care.
Children featured each
month are located in com- munities across the state; they have no family identi- fied to adopt them.
January’s child is high- lighted in this article. Con- sider making her a part of your family through adop- tion or a part of your church through Project Watch- Care, for support and men- toring.
“I Love Music!”
Little Ashanti has many obstacles to overcome every day. And every day, for all of her fifteen years, she has tackled these obstacles with strength and tenacity – and a big smile. She loves inter- active toys and being talked to, listening to music and watching television.
Welcoming Ashanti into your family will be dif- ferent than other fifteen- year-old girls, but having this sweet soul in your life is an indescribable joy.
If you are interested in knowing more about Ashanti and other children in foster care available for adoption, or if you would like to become a foster par- ent, mentor, partner or vol- unteer, please contact LaKay Fayson, Recruit- ment Coordinator for One Church One Child of Florida’s SunCoast Region, at (813) 740-0210 or lakay_fayson@ococfl.org.
The website for One Church One Child of Florida is www.ococfl.org.
ASHANTI, 15 Children’s Board of Tampa Bay Heart Gallery Photo by Jonathan Ridgely
PAGE 2-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018