There’s plenty of good news regarding Altus High School from the State of the School Report in the Altus Public Schools 2012 to 2013 Calendar. These School Report cards are available for every public school through their “www.SchoolReportCard.org” web site.

Regarding the class of 2011, the senior graduation rate was 98.8 percent, exceeding the Oklahoma state average of 97.9 percent. It seems counter-intuitive that AHS has both a great graduation rate and a higher than average dropout rate.

The four-year dropout rate of the class of 2011, was 16.7 percent. This is one area that continues to require strategic effort for AHS. Looking back at School Report cards to 2005, the AHS four-year dropout rate has see-sawed while the Oklahoma state average has made steady declines. AHS Principal Mark Haught said that the Altus dropout rate is a symptom of a multifaceted cultural challenge. Part of that challenge lies in helping students see the value of a high school diploma. AHS has implemented alternative education programs including night, daytime and online programs. Getting students to remain in school past the low point, the freshman year, contributes to that nice, high graduation rate. In addition to watching out for that risky time, Haught said, the district is striving to identify at-risk students by third grade. Annual Dropout Reports are written by each Oklahoma junior and senior high school and issued during November.

The average Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2011 High School seniors for AHS was 3.1, while the state GPA was 3.0.

The Career-Tech Occupationally-Specific program participation rate among 2010 seniors was 46.2 percent in Altus, and 53.8 percent for the state. More students tend to go to college, such as Western Oklahoma State College here than to go to a vocational school, such as Southwest Technology Center. Its fortunate for them that AHS students have both institutions to choose from in Altus.

Average ACT score for the AHS 2011 seniors was 20.7, and the state average was 20.8.

High school graduates completing the Regents’ College-Bound curriculum at AHS was 88.2 percent, with only 80.6 percent doing so in the state average.

Only 5.7 percent of the 2011 class at AHS was set to attend an out-of-state college right out of high school, whereas 6.6 percent of state seniors had applied to attend college in another state.

Fifty-seven and a half percent of AHS 2011 seniors were going to college in Oklahoma, while 47.8 percent would stay in-state from the state average.

Fewer AHS 2011 seniors would have to take a remedial course as a college freshman, 33.9 percent, as opposed to 39.2 percent of the state’s college freshmen would need to take at least one remedial math, English, science or reading class. Perhaps some of the reason the need for remedial classes is lower among AHS 2011 students is that AHS offers many more units in their curriculum than the state average. The AHS curriculum offers 58.5 units of academic courses as opposed to the state average of 37.3 units.