West Point, King William, Hanover grad rates near top

Connie Plum's students can call her on her cell phone after school hours if they're worried about something.

The King William High School teacher has been known to call a few bosses to ask them to work around after-school sessions for a struggling student.

She calls homes when her kids do well, not just when things are bad.

Those are just some of the ways Plum said she shows her students that she cares about their future.

Nearly 92 percent of King William students and 94 percent of West Point's graduate on time, according to recently released data by the Virginia Department of Education. West Point is in King William, though it has its own school division.

The statistics put West Point fourth-best among Virginia's 132 school divisions, and King William eighth, and show that larger, wealthier divisions don't always come out ahead.

In fact, among the top 10 divisions with the highest graduation rates, seven have fewer than 3,000 students. That includes the No. 1 system -- Falls Church City -- which has fewer than 2,000 students and a graduation rate of 97.6 percent.

The three large divisions are Hanover, Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

"Our size gives us an advantage," said West Point English teacher Joanna Blevins. "We know our kids so well here, they simply can't slip through [the cracks]."

In the age of testing, school officials in both areas said they're analyzing data more than ever to better meet students' needs.

But there are other programs and practices at work.

In West Point, there's an expectation of high standards, strong parent-school partnerships and students who take ownership of their education through extra-curricular activities, said Superintendent Jeffrey O. Smith.

It's called the "West Point Way," added Mark Dorsey, principal at West Point High. About 85 percent of this year's 230 students are involved in clubs or sports. Blevins said that most upperclassmen are in academic honor societies.

Dorsey said intervention programs begin in elementary school for struggling students. He pointed out that middle school students in West Point have an advantage over their peers in larger divisions because both groups are housed in the same building and share resources, he said.

They're exposed to high school before they get there, so "we don't have a ninth-grade transition problem," Dorsey said. The transition "is seamless."

Another resource for West Point students is the high school's eighth period.

Students who get Ds and Fs, or those who struggle with the SOLs, are required to attend until their grades improve. School officials say about 15 percent of students use that period at any given time. Those who don't need it can do homework, make-up work or study.

Lynn Vogel, a West Point graduate who is now a School Board member and has children in the system, said that eighth period was invaluable when her children needed extra help.

"The faculty really makes themselves available to the students . . . in a more individual setting outside the classroom," Vogel said.

King William, too, feeds off the small-community environment.

Tinya Ryland, principal at King William High, said teachers share resources and use a team approach to help students.

Plum, the teacher, echoed those thoughts.

"We're willing to stay after, come in early," Plum said. "We see the school as not one entity, [but] part of the entire community."

Ryland said her staff focuses on academic achievement by requiring students to maintain a C average to play sports and drive to school. She also said the system benefits from a strong connection among parents.

Parent Karen Kelley said she's known many of her children's friends and classmates since kindergarten and it's nice knowing that other parents know her children too.

"There's a feeling that other parents are watching and talking to your child," she said. The kids "know they've got more than their parents to impress."

King William English teacher Jan Williamson said students notice when teachers go the extra mile for them.

"It's almost like the students don't want to let us down because we don't let them down," she said.
Contact Holly Prestidge at (804) 649-6945 or .