DHS succeeds at academic interventions as well as top test score achievements

Decorah High School has developed a strong reputation for outstanding academic performance. Last spring DHS was recognized by the Washington Post as one of the top high schools in the United States, one of 8 recognized in the state of Iowa. DHS has been recognized as a top 25 AP (Advanced Placement) school, with 80 percent of juniors and seniors successfully completing their AP and college credit classes. ACT scores are 11 percentage points higher than the Iowa average, and 23 percentage points higher than the national average.

But that isn't the whole story of success at Decorah High School. In efforts that don't receive as much publicity and notoriety, Decorah is proving itself effective at academic interventions when some groups of students aren't doing so well. In a report to the School Board Monday night, Principal Kim Sheppard shared some of those efforts.

For example, since the beginning  (2007-8) of the Viking Success Center , in part an after school study table designed to reduce the number of D and F grades, the number of F grades has plummeted from 101 to 47 in the past school year. Seniors with F grades have also significantly declined, with only four F grades in the first semester, and none in the second semester last year. That also means far less trauma about not graduating on time or with a student's class.

Proficiency graphs based on ITBS/ITED testing show that for 11th graders, the percentage of students testing as "non-proficient" in reading fell from 20.4 percent in year 2000, to 8.1 percent in 2011. For the same period Math related scores of "non-proficient" fell from 15.5 percent to 8.8 percent; and Science "non-proficient' scores fell from 20.3 percent to 5.9 percent.  Sheppard shared with the board a variety of intervention strategies and coordinated classroom and curricular efforts that have made a difference.

Board member Rick Valley commended those efforts, saying that while the advanced placement programs and opportunities for high achievement are laudable, this kind of effort based on individuals and the commitment to intervention is critical to the school mission.