ROBERTSDALE, Alabama --- Nationwide the decline in high school graduation rates has reached epidemic proportions.

A recent paper by the Alabama Training Institute at Auburn University at Montgomery cited a Southern Education Foundation study stating that nationwide, roughly 30 percent of the 1 million American students who begin the ninth grade each year don’t graduate.

Over the last 25 years, Alabama has consistently ranked between 42nd and 47th in the nation in graduation rates with only about 60 percent of the state’s students graduating.

Terry C. Wilhite, director of communications for Baldwin County Public Schools, said a recent change in how graduation rates are calculated has caused percentages across Alabama to plummet.

“The issue in computing graduation rate revolves around student tracking,” Wilhite said.

When a student withdraws from a school system, such as moving to another school system or becomes a home-schooled student, or if a student dies and proper documentation isn’t received, Wilhite said, then that student is considered a drop out.

“If student tracking were better, the numbers would be higher,” he said.

Alabama now uses the four-year adjusted cohort graduation formula. As defined by the Alabama State Department of Education, the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate is the “number of students who graduate in four years with a regular diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class.” The adjusted cohort begins by selecting all first time ninth grade students and then tracking those students as they move through the 10th, 11th and 12th grades and adding any students who transfer into the cohort and removing any students who transfer out.

“When the new formula came out a few months ago, all school districts statewide saw graduation rate numbers plummet just because the calculation method changed,” Wilhite said.

Under the old formula, graduation rates in Baldwin County ranged from 87 percent (at BCHS) to 95 percent (Fairhope and Gulf Shores). Daphne and Robertsdale’s graduation rates were calculated at 93 percent, with Spanish Fort at 92 percent and Foley at 91 percent.

With the new formula, rates plummeted to as low as 63 percent at BCHS. Robertsdale’s graduation rate fell to 65 percent with Foley at 67 percent, Fairhope, 83 percent, and Daphne, Gulf Shores and Spanish Fort each at 88 percent.

 “One drop out is one too many,” said Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee. “Keeping kids in school is a nationwide problem and does not escape us in Baldwin County as good as our schools are. It is paramount that we continue the Digital Renaissance because it intrigues students; it makes learning fun and engaging. At Baldwin County High School already we have seen half the number of students drop out this year compared to last year.”

No matter which numbers you use, students from Robertsdale High School have decided to take a hands-on approach to tackle the low graduation rate numbers.

“We had an awareness program at the school,” said Dr. Cindy Erickson. “One day one of my students asked me if we were really making a difference. The answer was that we really didn’t know. We had no way of measuring the impact of the program.”

Thus in 2008, the Stop the Drop Project was born.

The project, which is conducted through the school’s Peer Helpers program, funded by the Jennifer Clair Moore Foundation, utilizes students to identify at-risk students.

Students learn to analyze behavior patterns, school attendance and grades.

Erickson, who teaches international studies and world history, acts as the supervisor for the Peer Helpers Program at RHS.

“It was decided that we would create an atmosphere of optimism, acceptance and support for at-risk students,” Erickson said.

Every Monday and Tuesday at the school, students from the Peer Helpers program meet to conduct planning sessions for programs and topics of discussion. Then every Wednesday morning, students get together for small group sessions, a sort of a “Breakfast Club.”

Students also learn to conduct one-on-one sessions with at-risk students.

“The first thing they learn is that they are not counselors,” Erickson said. “They are taught not to give advice. The most important thing they can do is listen and ask questions designed to get the students to open up.”

This year, RHS has 24 students in its Peer Helpers program with 27 students signed up for next year. There are also 27 students in the Central Baldwin Middle School Peer Helpers program and all of Robertsdale’s feeder elementary schools have some form of Peer Helper program, Erickson said.

Erickson, who holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of West Florida, has served schools in Baldwin County and Mobile County in Alabama and Cobb County, Ga., for 30 years.

She will be retiring from Robertsdale High School at the end of this year and Nichole King will be taking over the program at RHS.

“This is such a great program and I am really excited about it,” King said.

As a way to create awareness for the program, on Saturday, May 12, the RHS Peer Helpers will conduct their inaugural Bear Fair and 5K Fun Run, which will be held on the RHS campus.

Registration packets for the 5K Run and 1-mile Fun Run are available on the RHS website and will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 12 at the track on the school campus.

The Bear Fair will begin at 9:30 a.m. on the school campus and will feature a variety of events including:

• A talent booth, which will include musical acts, live music and karaoke.

•  An art booth, including face painting, student displays of art and other crafts.

• A food booth, including fried fish plates, hot dogs, beverages and sno cones.

• Petting zoo and pet adoption.

• Bear Fun Park with jumpy house and dunking booth.

• Bake sale and activity booth.

• Sports activity area.

The event is also a way for the Peer Helpers and their mentees to give back to the community. All proceeds from Saturday’s event will benefit Family Promise of Baldwin County.

According to its website, familypromisebc.org, Family Promise of Baldwin County is an Interfaith Hospitality Network conducted through a network of 14 host churches and eight support congregations that provide overnight lodging, meals and hospitality to homeless families with children.

“Family Promise is one of those programs that seeks to help at-risk children and it is something our students feel strongly about,” Erickson said. “I urge everyone who can to come out and support our program and raise money for a worthy cause.”

For more information visit the school’s website at www.robertsdalehigh.com or contact Erickson at the school, 251-947-4154 or email cerickson@bcbe.org.