White Oak High School honored for graduation rate

White Oak High School’s Class of 2009 graduated with a distinct honor.

The class was tracked from 9th grade through 12th grade, and 90.3 percent of the students graduated within the four-year time frame, a cohort graduation rate that has earned top honors in the state.

Seventeen schools and 12 school districts in North Carolina were recognized during an Oct. 12 ceremony in Raleigh for having the highest high school graduation rates. This is the second year State Superintendent June Atkinson has held the recognition ceremony to highlight the importance of high school graduation.

“North Carolina must redouble its efforts to keep students in school and on track for high school graduation,” she said. “A high school education is a basic accomplishment for anyone entering the workforce and an essential stepping stone to a community college or university. The schools and districts we have honored . . . show us that public schools can have high graduation rates, and when they do, students are the winners.”

White Oak High School and Fred T. Foard High in Catawba County were the top two schools of their size in the state to be recognized for the highest cohort graduation rate.

School officials in Onslow County attribute the success to close monitoring of student achievement and advising students in course selection.

“We place an emphasis on training teachers how to advise and counsel students in regards to the student’s performance and course selection,” White Oak High School Principal Debra Bryan said. “We do this through continuous monitoring. Our outstanding staff is dedicated to doing whatever it takes to keep our young adults in school, being successful, and graduating.”

At the recent ceremony, school districts and schools were recognized in three categories for highest graduation rates: the top 10 school districts; the 100 percent club; and the top two schools by population.

Contact Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or jpippin@freedomenc.com.