Austin High School's 4-year graduation rate saw a notable rise from 75.2% in 2021-2022 to 78.1% in 2022-2023, marking a 2.9% increase, while the statewide graduation rate declined 0.3%. Additionally, the district's overall graduation rate experienced a substantial boost, jumping nearly 4 percent in the same year.

Why it matters:
While Austin High School's graduation rate is 78.1%, slightly below the state average of 83.3%, the school's notable improvement rate could indicate a positive trend towards higher graduation rates soon.

Going deeper:
Minnesota's inclusive method of tracking graduation rates over 4 to 7 years honors the unique educational journeys of its students. The state has observed promising progress, with the 4-year graduation rate growing by nearly 2% annually. Additionally, Austin High School's 7-year rate, embracing those who graduate within seven years, improved by 1% to 88.8%, closely aligning with the state's average. This approach and these results underscore our commitment to recognizing and supporting diverse paths to educational success.

"We are encouraged to see our graduation percentage has increased," says Austin High School principal Matt Schmit. "Over the past few years, we have worked to implement BARR, a multi-tiered system of support for students, the Packer Profile, additional mental health supports, and an early warning system for student performance. This increase in graduation rates is hopefully just the beginning of a period of sustained growth for our students."

While many factors typically play into year-to-year differences in graduation rates, one of the largest challenges in recent years has been the effects of COVID on student achievement. This year's increase is encouraging because it seems to show the diminishing effects of COVID on graduation rates. Austin has recently implemented several long-term student success initiatives, including BARR and MTSS.

"Every classroom, every grade, every school in our district plays a crucial role in crafting our students' success," says Austin Superintendent Dr. Joey Page. "This improvement is one of the strong indicators of our collective effort and commitment at every educational stage, ensuring that every student's potential is recognized and nurtured."

The bottom line:
At Austin Public Schools, our mission to Inspire, Empower, and Accelerate student success is at the heart of our commitment. A consistent year-to-year increase in our 4-year graduation rate could suggest that our efforts and programs are making a real difference. We are optimistic and driven to keep this positive momentum and look forward to improving student outcomes in the years ahead.

More about the data:

Find graduation data on the Minnesota Report Card, presented in an easy-to-read, mobile-friendly layout that includes charts and graphs illustrating trends and results for all student groups.

Please view the complete statewide, district, school, and county graduation rates in an Excel spreadsheet by visiting our Data Reports and Analytics Student webpage. In the Category field, select Graduation Rate to access graduation indicator files for each year. In the Year, Subcategory, and Level fields, select the desired data, if needed. Click List Files to view the spreadsheet.

View data on enrollment in developmental education in Minnesota colleges and universities on the Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS).

Sincerely,

Dr. Joey Page, Superintendent

Let's catch up on what's happening across our District! In step with our mission to Inspire, Empower, and Accelerate, we're making great strides in several initiatives that enhance learning and support our students' success.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

Implementation of standard MTSS teams is in full swing at each building: School Leadership Teams (SLT), Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), Supplemental Support Teams (SST), and Intensive Support Teams (IST). The District MTSS team has worked with building teams to refine processes and procedures for consistent implementation across sites.

What's Happening Now?

· Building teams have wrapped up their training sessions regarding MTSS implementation from the Minnesota Department of Education.

· District MTSS Team members continue to provide a feedback loop from buildings back to the district team by collaborating with MTSS teams at their assigned buildings.

· The District MTSS Team is also continuing its development through the Minnesota Department of Education MTSS Installation Cohort series of trainings.

· We continue implementing an Early Warning System (EWS) to identify at-risk students for early intervention through our MTSS processes.

Stay tuned for more updates in the next few Austin Packer Bulletin issues.

Congratulations to Estefany, Naw Chit, and Fernando on completing their GEDs with Austin Adult Learning! Estefany is advancing to Riverland and pursuing a Nursing - R.N. track. Naw Chit is on the path to an M.S. & Ph.D. in Education Technology and Computer Science. Fernando is exploring a degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences. Their achievements exemplify our staff and students' daily hard work and success.

The Austin Public Schools Special Services department is pleased to announce the hiring of Christine Hulsebus as the district's new 7-12 Special Education Supervisor.

Ms. Hulsebus, who holds an MA in Education with an emphasis in Special Education Leadership from Augsburg College, has been a special education and Alternative Learning Center teacher at Ellis Middle School since 2016. She holds multiple Minnesota state licenses, including K-12 Learning Disabilities, K-12 Emotional Behavior Disorders, Elementary Education, and 5-8 Language Arts.

"Christine's diverse experiences and growth mindset will be an asset to our department moving forward," said Executive Director of Special Services Sheri Willrodt. "Her extensive background in Special Education has helped her develop a strong leadership ability that we are excited to see in action as she works to foster and promote success for all students."

Ms. Hulsebus is "genuinely thrilled to embark on this new journey and collaborate with such a dedicated and diligent team."

This position was created as part of restructuring the Special Services department to meet the needs of students more efficiently and, among other benefits, will help smooth the transition planning for students as they move from elementary/intermediate to the middle/high school levels.

Austin Public Schools' Austin Online Academy received national recognition during the 2024 Digital Learning Day on February 15, 2024. According to All4Ed, Digital Learning Day "provides a valuable platform for educators and stakeholders to showcase innovative practices, and [Austin's] involvement in this event is a testament to [their] commitment to leveraging technology to enhance student learning experiences."

"As a passionate educator dedicated to fostering safe, welcoming environments enriched with meaningful learning experiences, being recognized as a 2024 Digital Learning Day honoree is incredibly humbling," says Austin Online Academy principal Jessica Cabeen. "Digital Learning Day serves as a powerful platform to highlight the profound impact of technology in education, and this honor reaffirms our unwavering commitment to ensuring that every student has access to engaging and enriching learning opportunities."

Austin Online Academy was one of only four programs highlighted during the event, which featured a message from United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in addition to discussions about the importance of "offering flexible and accessible learning options, … empowering students to tailor their education to meet their unique needs and interests."

Austin Superintendent Dr. Joey Page shared, "The continuous growth and success of Austin Online Academy are both exciting and impressive, showcasing our commitment to educational innovation and student achievement."

Austin Online Academy is a virtual learning program for Minnesota grades 9-12 students. Currently enrolling nearly 100 students, the goal of the Academy is to make learning accessible to all students while providing them with the opportunity to learn on their schedule. A team of dedicated staff works to support students virtually and in person, and students enrolled in the program can participate in Austin High School activities and athletics.

"[We] remain steadfast in our efforts to make a significant impact for families statewide," says Cabeen. "We are committed to offering meaningful learning experiences and a space where students can truly thrive as innovative, creative, and engaged learners."

The Austinaires and Choralaires are pulling out all the stops with tunes from the turn of the millennium. You won't want to miss these senior spotlights, either! Reserved seating is for sale online this year, or purchase tickets at the door.

The Hormel Foundation Austin Assurance Scholarship (THFAAS) is a scholarship (free money) that students can use while earning a full-time or part-time education at Riverland Community College. This scholarship covers tuition (65 credits) and fees and includes a stipend for needed books and class materials. The scholarship amount varies for each student, but it will cover 100% of tuition and fees not fulfilled by federal or state grants. THFAAS has a potential savings of over $12,500 for college education costs! Learn more here.

New this year - thanks to an M.N. pilot program, more people than ever are eligible to be substitute teachers!

During the pilot, individuals with an associate's degree in any field and educational support professionals (paraeducators) with a high school diploma who have worked at APS for at least a year are eligible for a short-call substitute license.

Call us at 507-460-1903 or email us for more information!

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Are you an alumnus of Austin Public Schools? If so, we'd love to hear from you! We're excited to hear about your accomplishments and are eager to share your successes and advice with our current students, families, and the Austin community.

All you need to do is take a minute to answer a few quick questions at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/alumni-spotlight.

Thanks, and we look forward to hearing all your wonderful stories!

At Austin Public Schools, our mission is to inspire, empower, and accelerate every one of our learners, and we know that the only way for us to reach this goal is through the efforts of all our incredibly hard-working staff.

In this week’s Staff Spotlight, we’re highlighting Ellis Middle School Language Arts Teacher Kristi Kreun.

"Kristi is a phenomenal veteran teacher whose compassion as an educator is admirable. Her dedication to student success has made a difference in so many lives. She is incredibly respected and appreciated by both students and staff at Ellis."

Congratulations!

If you’d like to nominate an outstanding Austin Public Schools staff member for our weekly Staff Spotlight, please take a moment to fill out the form at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/district-resources/staff-spotlight. It only takes a minute and can truly make someone’s day. Thanks!

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APS offers a wide range of student activities, including competitive athletics, intramurals, academic clubs, fine arts, and performing arts. View schedules and learn more here.

The school district strongly encourages anyone interested to apply to join our teams. Reasonable accommodations are available to access job openings or apply for a job. Click here to learn more.

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