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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Arizona has the lowest high school graduation rate in the country.
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The Sunnyside Unified School District is working to change that by bringing incoming freshmen to campus over the summer.
High school is stressful, especially for students who are not prepared.
“Since you know you’re coming from another school to a new one that’s a huger campus, more people,” said Madeline Miranda Ramirez, a Mission Ready student.
Sunnyside High teacher and program coordinator David Nguyen said students struggle academically if they don’t feel a sense of belonging.
“That can result in lack of attendance and going to school. If they’re not feeling belonged, like ‘why should I go and who can I talk to as teachers, as counselors,’” Nguyen said.
Addressing low graduation rates
Arizona’s high school graduation rate is the lowest in the country at 77%. Sunnyside Unified School District’s is even lower at 76%.
Mission Ready is one of Sunnyside’s solutions to low high school graduation rates.
For 10 days, 300 incoming freshmen have been learning to navigate high school at the Sunnyside High and Desert View campuses. It’s a free, optional program.
“I had a student that was really shy, really came in not wanting to talk. A lot of our class in Mission Ready really focuses on trying to speak more academically and more like a high schooler,” said Fernando Jimenez, a Mission Ready teacher.
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“The kids who do go, from what I hear – more connectedness, more with-it-ness when the school year starts,” Nguyen said.
Building confidence and looking ahead
Jimenez’s student, who was too shy to speak, found a voice through Mission Ready.
“The student went on to try out volleyball, really stuck to it, and really became a more confident version of themselves,” Jimenez said.
Mission Ready helps some students through high school. Others are already looking beyond.
“Find out new things about universities, college, stuff that I really want to get into,” Ramirez said.
The freshman transition program ends Tuesday but will return next year.
Isabela Lisco is a Report for America corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
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