Rochester City Schools improving graduation rate

Seventeen year old Shalom Greene is a senior at Monroe High School and he not only is close to graduating. Shalom is also the #2 graduating senior in the entire Rochester City School District.

“Right now I just need about two classes, English as well as Economics, as well as gym,” says Shalom who will take the classes next semester.

However, at Monroe High School, there are now new options to help seniors graduate early or stay on track to graduate on time.   

“It's a good service,” says Carmenza Gutierrez, a teacher who offers after school classes to her students preparing for the global studies portion of the regents exam, “they are very difficult. It (the classes) helped them to review just once a week. So we started in September, so it was good.”

Not all of these classes are to help students pass their regents exams, in fact, some of the classes are for students who need exploratory credit in classes like physical education, music and even art.

“I've known kids who've lacked a credit in art or music or an elective credit and haven't graduated. And they get to a certain point where they're lacking credits and they just give up,” says art teacher Linda Machanoff who began a Saturday school in art to help graduating seniors get their elective credit, “they do extra work outside the class and they do art every morning, every Saturday morning.”

So far the programs are showing promise.

“It sounded pretty great, giving kids a chance to graduate on time rather than be held off for a year more,” says Machanoff.