Updated: August 24, 2017 10:15 AM CDT

Written by: Admin

 

      In 2008, eight area schools were  labeled "drop-out factories" by the media. At the time, those schools included: Waterloo East, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson High Schools in Council Bluffs, Des Moines East, Lincoln and North High Schools in Des Moines, Mason City High School and Southeast Webster High School. According to the Iowa Department of Education's data, in 2009, Waterloo East's graduation rate was a staggering 74%. At the time, the top schools were ranking in the 90-100 percentile. 

 

      Knowing that 74% was not good enough, the Waterloo Community School District aided in providing a multitude of supports to assist in changing the building's culture, climate, and out-look of life after high school. For the last eight years, Waterloo East High has made graduation rate, among other initiatives, its top priority. Soon, the buildings started receiving help in the form of district mentors, much-needed technological updates, professional development, and collaboration time with like-minded groups. East's counselors started emphasizing the benefits of two-year degrees from local community colleges. Career fairs started to take place, and students certainly started to see the benefit of having a high school diploma. As these functions started to be put into place, the students, staff, and community started to notice an outstanding difference. And it wasn't long before the test scores started to follow suit.

 

      Now, things are looking a lot different for Waterloo East.  The district has implemented Career-Focused Academies at the building level and a Career Center out at Central Middle School where students can not only learn on-the-job training but also gain certifications that can be used right out of high school.  The most current data from the Iowa Department of Education has Waterloo East at a 90% graduation rate or a 16% increase in under a decade. As achievement continues to rise, so do their aspirations of becoming one of Iowa's top schools.