48th in the country.
Everytime I share this fact during a talk, I hear a gasp. Few know the depth of the crisis of our schools in Oregon. The primary metric that used for measuring success of our schools are graduation rates.
Here in Oregon, we have the 48th worst graduation rates in the country.
When I share this fact, I then normally continue and drive that fact deep into their gut. I talk about how we are considered the Mississippi of the West, except that Mississippi has higher graduation rates than us.
Oh, we are improving, slowly, incrementally. But so are other states. When I started Innovate Oregon, we were 45th. We have slipped three slots in the last four years.
We need to re-imagine. We need to Leapfrog. To embrace an Audacious Aspiration.
Most of all, we need to Focus on What Matters.
In John Kay book, _Obliquity,_ he explores that the path to success is rarely direct. Complex ecosystems cannot be controlled, but conditions for success can be created. Those conditions allow success to happen.
Dayton has focused on creating an environment of empowered learning driven by student's own curiosity. They have embraced an agile, adaptive culture that challenges students to find the "why" of their learning.
Purpose driven learning engages students. Students who are engaged and become responsible for their learning want to come to school and will graduate.
Dayton's graduation rates is now 96.8%, 18% above the state average.
Focus on the drivers of success.