TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Public Schools is reporting nearly 20% more seniors are on track to graduate. The district is championing two programs they say are instrumental in the change.
Inside Graduation Power Hour about a dozens students are learning relational skills. The 45-minute block covers everything from reading intervention to college and career prep. The ultimately goal is to make sure students have the tools they need to graduate on time.
“We have seen a jump in grades 9-12 across the board,” said Jen Baugess.
Webster Principal Jen Baugess says initiatives like Power Hour are propelling her school to the biggest freshman year growth for graduation readiness with a 29.5% increase.
“It makes me feel so happy and excited and proud of the kids,” said Baugess. “Keeping them on track to graduate means they stay in school. It means we can expose them to more things but also, they have people, and they have a community and a sense of belonging here.”
After seeing the progress they’ve made at Webster, 2 News talked with district leaders about how those increases are happening across the board.
“We are seeing kids that are not just meeting their credit requirements earlier but getting all of those requirements out of the way,” said Krystal Hutchinson.
Krystal Hutchinson, Director of Post-Secondary Readiness at Tulsa Public Schools, says in 2023 TPS reported 55.3% of seniors on track to graduate. In 2024 that number jumped to 73.8%.
“To see all of our numbers increasing and to see more of our students being able to take advantage of these opportunities it’s been everything that we’ve wanted,” said Hutchinson.
She points to the Graduation Power Hour and a 9th grade elective called Bridge serving as a springboard into high school for helping get more students on track.
“Would you say those have a direct correlation to these numbers you’re seeing,” asked 2 News Anchor Naomi Keitt.
“I absolutely think so,” said Hutchinson. “We’re seeing attendance go up. We’re seeing our 9th grade on track rate go up. We’re seeing our kids finishing their semesters earning credits in a much higher rate than we have before.”
She says it’s also giving students the chance to explore more opportunities in TPS like concurrent enrollment and internships. Ultimately, it’s about making sure they’re successful after they leave high school.
“There are so many things that kids can do in our world today and so our job is to make sure they know about all the possibilities and know what steps they need to take in order to get there,” said Hutchinson.
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