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| Crenshaw County Ranks #1 Among County School Systems |
Amanda Wade Reporting for WAKA News
High school graduation rates are up for Alabama, but one county in South Alabama takes the number one spot for the entire state.
Most high schoolers can't wait to walk across the graduation stage
to get their diplomas, and in Crenshaw County, 96% of them did just that
last year. Awarding the county with the highest graduation rating of
any county in the state, and some credit that to the community as a
whole.
Teachers, students, and parents all working together to help each
child on an individual basis is what Crenshaw County teachers say has
increased their county's graduation rate by 23% in just four years.
"We have that family atmosphere, and so because of that, I think a
lot of the teachers are the 'mamas' for these students academically
speaking. They are able to take these students one on one and make sure
to make an extra effort to know where they are and that they don't fall
through the cracks," says Starla Jones, an 11th and 12th Grade Math
Teacher at Luverne High School.
The superintendent says they were also able to hire a graduation
exam coach who would work with students individually on their weaknesses
to help them achieve passing scores on the test, and she says getting
to know the students made the biggest difference, "Some students don't
learn the same way. And I got to know everyone of them and how they
learned it. If they know that you care and you love them, they'll work
for you," Courtney Shows, the Remediation Coach.
And current seniors, like Randall Sipper, say always being able to
get extra help keeps them motivated, "If you need help with something or
don't understand something they'll sit down with you on their free
time, during breaks, or lunch if you get a chance, and they'll work with
you and it really helps."
The teachers also say parental involvement and intervening early if
they see a student falling behind keeps the graduation rates on the
rise.
Besides ranking first among counties, The Crenshaw County School
System ranks sixth in the state when you compare all the school systems.
