Latest news with #ProjectGraduation
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Law enforcement team up to keep students safe during grad season
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- This week, many students across West Texas will be graduating from high school. While it is a time to celebrate, many officials are reminding students to celebrate responsibly. Officers with multiple agencies will patrol the street to keep kids from underage drinking. Officials are also offering an alternative called Project Graduation. It will be held at Urban Air, and it is meant to keep students safe. 'We have staff members, especially Clara Pride, who worked very hard to put this together for our youth,' Sara Hinshaw, Basin Lighthouse Director, said. 'We are here, we all worry because we care about our youth. We want our youth to grow up and be successful. So, she works super hard to provide this party. She gets out in the community, cause again we want a safe place for our kids to go.' Project graduation is organized by Basin Lighthouse, a non-profit that specializes in drug and alcohol abuse. But it isn't the only organization working to make a difference this graduation season. 'The agency in Ector County is coming together, and we focus on preventing alcohol parties for juveniles right after graduation night for the safety of the students,' LT. Chancey Westfall at Ector County Police Department said. 'Historically, in the past, there have been times where students go to these parties, get intoxicated, drive, and we end up losing students that are just now starting their gulf journey in life.' In Odessa, parents can be criminally charged if caught hosting parties for underage kids. Where alcohol is being served. '2,000-dollar fines regarding that social host ordinance. That's a pretty significant fine, and we haven't written an enormous amount of those, but we have written those,' Chief Michael Gerke said. 'Those have been issued, and we will do it again. I hate to say that because if people put us in that position, they force us in that corner, it will happen. So again, that's why we are here today, because of the safety of the young people and asking the parents and adults to be responsible.' Basin Lighthouse says that in this area, 13 percent of seniors are getting alcohol at parties. Officials say the community can help by sending tips and talking to Crime Stoppers about any known grad parties that might be serving alcohol. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Operation Graduation taking place this weekend
May 21—Law enforcement, city officials and prevention agencies encouraged parents — and students — to celebrate graduation weekend and the rest of the summer safely during a news conference Wednesday the Odessa Police Department. Project Graduation, a safe, substance-free celebration held on graduation night, is one way of doing that. It will be held this year for Permian and Odessa high schools at Urban Air. It's designed to keep seniors off the roads and away from risky environments, according to information from Project Graduation Chair Clara Pride. Mayor Cal Hendrick appeared on video to congratulate the 2025 graduates on a job well done. Sara Hinshaw, director of prevention programs at Basin Lighthouse, formerly Permian Basin regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, said they encourage people not to have underage drinking parties. The organization helped the city enact a social host ordinance in 2017 to help local law enforcement. The reason for the ordinance is that "we care about our youth," Hinshaw said. "We need to be protecting our youth. We need to help out law enforcement by not providing these underage drinking parties. Let's provide sober parties. We encourage them all to go to Project Graduation. It's a party for our seniors. It's an all-night party. It's at Urban Air this year so this is where we encourage our seniors to go," Hinshaw said. Ector County ISD Police Lt. Chancey Westfall, who is over west side operations and training, extended congratulations to all graduates. "But what we want to also focus on is the dangers of graduation night, when students choose to go out to these parties, consume alcohol and then drive. The last thing that we want to deal with, anyone in this room that works law enforcement, any parent, anyone in our community, is ... the death of one of our kids because they made a poor choice the night of graduation," Westfall said. "We have a lot of places that you can go. Specifically Project Graduation is a wonderful program that's been going on for many years. We encourage our students to go to Project Graduation, because that is going to be a safe place to then go and enjoy and celebrate. That is only one night, though," Westfall said. He added that he would like to encourage everyone to avoid alcohol parties over the summer as well. "I cannot express how heartbreaking it is to lose someone that's just now starting their adult journey in life. To our other students, to our parents, I would like to discourage you from hosting an alcohol party where one of these kids could get intoxicated and get hurt. If you have information or receive information concerning an alcohol party that's going to be hosted in the next few weeks, I would strongly encourage you to reach out to the Odessa Crime Stoppers. You can leave an anonymous tip, and we can have officers that can go and investigate that to prevent that party from turning into something deadly," Westfall said. "If you're not comfortable making the phone call, there's also the P3 app, the tip app, online. You can submit a tip there. We please encourage you to reach out if you have that information, because you could save a life," he added. Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke said everyone remembers their graduations and wants to see their children and grandchildren graduate and move on to live a productive life. With several different agencies represented, Gerke said you can see the dedication from law enforcement to help make that happen. "Parents, please make sure that your children are safe, make sure your children make better decisions, make wise decisions, so that they can have those happy, fulfilling lives. That's what's important to us. (The) number one goal of Odessa Police Department is protection of life. That's what this is about today. It's not about making arrests, it's not about writing citations. It's about our young people being safe and having a joyful time at graduation," Gerke said. Council Member At-Large Craig Stoker echoed many of the sentiments Wednesday. "This is a great opportunity for our graduating seniors to have a safe place to celebrate and really just an opportunity to gather together and not have opportunities to get in trouble," Stoker said. "There was not such an emphasis on providing spaces like this when I graduated so I applaud the efforts of those putting this on." Westfall noted that the mission of the ECISD Police Department is always the safety of the students. "Even though these kids are graduating, they're still ours. They came up through our school, and our officers build a relationship there. It's like a family, especially for our officers that had these kids in middle school and watched them grow up. It is a very much something we take a lot of pride in. It's very personal for us to go protect our students," Westfall said. The best way to prevent something from happening is talking to your students or your children, interacting with them and talking about concerns. "A lot of people leave things unsaid. When things are unsaid and you don't speak to your children about them, curiosity will get the better of them, and they will go seek out these things based on peer pressure. The best tool to fight peer pressure is education. Teach your kids what to avoid and not go to these parties. If you receive information or you believe that you're going to have students that are going to host a party, I would like to push out there that you should reach out to the Crime Stoppers Odessa program, call them, give them the information. We can go and investigate it. It's all anonymous. If you're not comfortable using the phone, P3 apps; you can download that app online. You can submit it anonymously, and for the students that are listening to this, if you get information on this party, those tips pay cash. If you give us a tip, it solves one of those parties that we get to go out and bust. It prevents a kid from getting hurt. We pay them. I want you all to keep that in mind that that is a big incentive for our students is going to be those tips and that program," Westfall said. Gerke said graduation is something near and dear to the OPD's heart because they want young people to be safe and enjoy graduation. "I think a lot of people mischaracterize this as, hey, we're out there trying to bust up parties and take kids to jail and write tickets, and that's absolutely not it, because over the last few years, we've actually seen a decline in the number of tips we get for this, which means it's working. The whole idea behind this is to keep those graduates that have just passed one of the major milestones of life safe. That's all we really want, and that's our main focus at the Odessa Police Department, is that protection of life and sanctity of life," Gerke said. He added that this is a great effort that brings the community together. Gerke said social host ordinance fines can be up to $2,000. "That's a pretty significant fine. We haven't written an enormous amount of those, but we have written those. Those have been issued, and we'll do it again. ... We're not blind. We understand that we can't prevent juveniles from drinking alcohol constantly, but we can, we can surely try to diminish the number of times that happens, and focus on the safety involved with that," Gerke said. Although a large focus of Operation Graduation is alcohol, drugs are also a concern. "Any type of thing that's going to that it's going to cause harm because you think about these parties and there's overdoses; there are overdoses on narcotics; there are overdoses on alcohol. ... We also are concerned about drinking and driving, or using drugs and driving. Those things cause harm for society, also," Gerke added. According to information from Basin Lighthouse, formerly the Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse: — 12 percent of seniors in this region get their alcohol at parties most of the time compared to the 9 percent state average. — When surveyed, 87.8 percent of seniors in this region reported that they have drunk five or more alcoholic drinks in a two-hour span in the last month. — Two metropolitan statistical areas in Region 9 (Odessa and Midland) account for No. 1 and 2 in most alcohol-related driving fatalities in Texas. — The Teen Court of Odessa handles approximately 30 to 40 cases annually involving minors cited for alcohol violations. Repeat offenders face judicial proceedings and citations can have lasting impacts on their records. — Alcohol-to-Go concerns: A study highlighted that nearly 70 percent of alcohol-to-go orders in the area lacked proper ID verification, raising concerns about increased access for underage individuals. — Youth who drink before age 15 are four times more likely to face alcohol dependence or misuse as adults. — Furnishing alcohol to someone under 21 can lead to a $4,000 fine and up to a year in jail. Selling alcohol to a minor is a Class A misdemeanor, which can bring a $4,000 fine and a year in jail.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Maryland high school graduation rate reaches seven-year high
High school graduation rates hit a seven-hear high of 88% in 2024, new state data shows. (Getty Images photo.) By Erin Sjostedt Maryland's high school graduation rate climbed to 88% in 2024, reaching its highest point since 2017, according to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The increase of nearly 2 percentage points over the previous year marks a significant recovery following pandemic-era declines. The 2024 data from MSDE shows significant gains among student groups that have historically faced barriers to graduation. Hispanic students saw their graduation rate rise over seven percentage points from 2023-2024, while multilingual learners experienced a dramatic increase of over 10%. 'Last year was the largest year-over-year gain of any student group, and I think that's a testimony to targeted, sustained supports that are making the difference,' said Theresa Timmons Parrott, an MSDE official focused on multilingual education. 'It's a step in the right direction, but it's not the finish line.' Anne Arundel County Public Schools reported a graduation rate of 89%, two percentage points above the state average. North County High School in Glen Burnie, a Title I school, achieved a 7% increase in its graduation rate. Bob Mosier, chief communications officer for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, said 'every student group is different, and so it's providing students with what it is that they need on an individual basis to be successful.' 'A nearly full-point jump in overall graduation rate is a very significant accomplishment,' said Mosier. 'We also had six schools that increased by two percentage points or more.' Mosier credited the district's progress in part to Project Graduation, a systemwide initiative launched two years ago to provide tailored support to students at risk of not finishing high school on time. 'It really is a laser-like focus on individual students and what those students need in order to graduate, graduate on time,' Mosier said about the project. 'We put that in place two years ago, … and we're starting to see that pay off now.' In Baltimore City, the four-year graduation rate rose by one percentage point for the 2023 graduating class. MSDE said the district focused on ninth-grade intervention and reducing chronic absenteeism, two predictors of long-term academic success. According to MSDE's public dataset, Baltimore also saw improved outcomes among English language learners and students experiencing homelessness. Statewide, female students continued to graduate at higher rates than male students, and white and Asian students graduated at higher rates than their Black and Hispanic peers. Students with disabilities graduated at a rate of 69%, still well below the statewide average. Economically disadvantaged students' graduation rate increased slightly from 2023, graduating at a rate of 82%. The graduation rate report comes as Maryland begins to implement the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, a landmark education reform law that aims to expand early childhood education, increase college and career readiness and close equity gaps. Several of the strategies outlined in the Blueprint — including community school models and increased funding for English language learners — align with areas of progress highlighted in the 2024 data. 'If you dig down into the Blueprint, it really lays the foundation for the strategies we're seeing pay off,' Parrott said. She attributes a large portion of the progress made to broaden access to early childhood education, target funding for multilingual learners, and mandate college and career readiness pathways by tenth grade. While the Blueprint for Maryland's Future has driven recent graduation gains, lawmakers enacted adjustments this year due to a projected $3 billion budget shortfall. The Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, passed in April 2025, includes a three-year delay in implementing teacher collaborative time and provisions to freeze increases in funding if state revenues significantly decline. Still, regional disparities persist. While some districts reported graduation rates above 90%, others, particularly in rural counties on the Eastern Shore and in Western Maryland, sit at 80% and below. Education advocates say these gaps underscore the need for continued investment and monitoring. 'This is great news for Maryland,' State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright said in a press release from MSDE. 'When we set high standards, deliver strong instruction, and invest in proven supports, our students show that they will exceed expectations.' As the 2025 graduating class enters its final year, educators and policymakers are cautiously optimistic. The latest data suggests that Maryland's post-pandemic recovery is underway, however state education officials say it will require long-term commitment to equity, funding and student support services to maintain. – Capital News Service is a student-staffed reporting service operated by the University of Maryland's Phillip Merrill College of Journalism. Stories are available at the CNS site and may be reprinted as long as credit is given to Capital News Service and, most importantly, to the students who produced the work.
CBS News
25-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland reports 87.6% high school graduation rate in 2024, highest since 2017
The 2024 graduation rate for Maryland high schools reached 87.6% in 2024, the highest level since 2017, according to the state Department of Education (MSDE). The 2024 graduation rate was 1.8 percentage points higher than in the 2022-23 school year. Hispanic students and multilingual learners saw the largest increase among student groups. Anne Arundel County graduation rate In Anne Arundel County, the 2024 graduation rate rose by almost one percentage point, compared to 2023, according to data from MSDE. For students with disabilities, the graduation rate rose by 6.79 percentage points, the largest increase of any student group in the county. Graduation rates for multilingual learners increased by 4.94 percentage points, and by 2.52 percentage points for African American students. Among Hispanic students, an increase of 2.41 percentage points was reported. District officials said the increases for African American and Hispanic students narrowed the gaps between the two groups. In 2024, the district's overall high school graduation rate was 88.54%, almost one percentage point above the state's average. Anne Arundel County Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell cited the district's Project Graduation and other efforts to help students as part of the reason for the increase. "This data is evidence that the work we have put into efforts like Project Graduation and our intense focus on helping every single student get what they need to Belong, Grow, and Succeed are paying off," Dr. Bedell said. The district launched Project Graduation in 2022 to provide credit recovery options for students, allowing more opportunities for second-chance learning. The initiative is available for students in grades 9 through 12 and enlists counselors, teachers and leadership teams to assess and provide support as students progress toward graduation. Frederick and Harford County graduation rates Frederick County's 2024 graduation rate increased by more than one percentage point, reaching 94.3%. The district's graduation rate was almost seven percentage points above the state's overall graduation rate. The district was ranked first among other districts with more than 300,000 students. Graduation rates in Frederick County high schools also increased among several student groups, including Hispanic students, multilingual learners and those with disabilities. The high school dropout rate also declined by more than one percentage point to 2.2% in 2024, one of the lowest in the state. Harford County high schools recorded a 2024 graduation rate of 91.6%, the highest the district has recorded since 2011, officials said. In 2023, the graduation rate was 90.8%
