Drop in graduation rate keeps Cherokee Tech from being 'excellent'
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

A decline in graduation rates kept Cherokee Technology Center (CTC) from continuing its recent trend of excellent report card ratings.

The school received a "Good" report card rating this year after receiving an "Excellent" rating each of the past four years.

Vocational high schools like CTC are graded based on the percentage of students earning higher than a C in their career courses, graduation rates and how many students over a 3-year period continue their education or get a job in their chosen field.

Report cards showed 84.3 percent of CTC seniors graduated, compared to a state average of 91 percent. The graduation rate is based on seniors who attend the vocational high school and whether they take one course or complete a program of study.

Cherokee Technology Center had 85.2 percent of its students earn a C or bett in career courses. The state average is 82.7 percent.

The school had a student placement rate of 97.2 percent, slightly below the state average for career centers of 97.6 percent.

Cherokee Technology Center had a 95 percent graduation rate on the federal Perkins Standards Report used to evaluate the performance of career centers.

"Personally, I believe the Perkins graduation rate is a much better indicator for CTC," said Page McCraw, district director of education programs. "The Perkins graduation rate is based on those students who complete four units in a program of study and are considered completers. These are the students CTC annually recognizes during its awards program."

Overall, CTC met five of the six Perkins standards this year, missing only the category for nontraditional students enrolled in career programs.

The vocational school had 18.3 percent of nontraditional students complete career programs last year, which exceeded the Perkins goal of 17.8 percent.

"Examples of nontraditional enrollment are boys in culinary arts and girls as welders," CTC Assistant Director Mandy Painter said. "We had more of these students complete these programs last year. We were very pleased with our performance on the Perkins standards."

Cherokee Technology Center has partnered with Gaffney High School to implement a pre-engineering program called Project Lead the Way and High Schools That Work. The school's automotive program is seeking national certification from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.

"Cherokee Technology Center affords learners from Blacksburg and Gaffney High schools the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills through career and technology education," director Harold Talley said. "Our school's success is indicative of the outstanding effort and performance demonstrated by the students, parents, teachers and our advisory councils."