NATCHEZ — With the state’s average graduation rate within a percentage point of the national average, Natchez-Adams School District has also seen some gains.

The district’s rate still lags behind the state’s average of 82.3, but since 2011-12, the Natchez-Adams district has climbed from a 60.8-percent rate to a 73.1-percent rate this year.

Superintendent Fred Butcher said the district has placed a focus on improving the district’s rate. Butcher said professional development is one reason behind the increase, as the development has strengthened teacher knowledge on the Mississippi College and Career Readiness standards.

Butcher said the district aims to increase the graduation rate annually. The effort starts in elementary school, he said.

“Students physically dropout of school in high school but there are precursors, even as early as elementary school, of dropouts,” Butcher said.

Factors staff has to watch for amongst students include academic or social disengagement, poor academic performance, frequent misbehavior and absences, Butcher said.

The next step is in middle school, where the district has to adequately prepare students for high school, Butcher said.

“The district has had success in students passing subject-area test in middle school grades,” Butcher said. “So, students are now afforded the opportunity to take high school level courses beginning in the seventh grade.  

“If students can pass the majority or all of the required subject area tests by the time they reach tenth grade, the graduation rate will continue to increase.”

At the high school level, once a student has met all of the graduation requirements, except for passing the subject-area tests, he or she is allowed abbreviated schedules to make way for intensive remediation support on the tests.

While much effort is focused on the school level, Butcher said the central office plays a role.

“The district has a dropout prevention coordinator who is working closely with schools in the district to identify students who exhibit these precursors and working with families to create action plans to address issues,” Butcher said. “The administrative team is also working to identify students at the high school level who are in danger of dropping out and providing those students with additional academic supports.”

The graduation rate tracks the percentage of students who graduated four years after becoming a freshman for the first time.