Star-Tribune Editorial Board

About one out of every four ninth-grade Wyoming students fails to graduate with his or her class. That's a statistic in drastic need of improvement for several reasons, including this one: Dropouts and poorly prepared students have a negative impact on the state's economy.

Wyoming needs more skilled workers to help the state contend with its major labor shortage. But we're losing opportunities to gain ground with every student who leaves school.

The national Alliance for Excellent Education estimates that the 1,800 Wyoming students who didn't graduate in 2007 will have total lost lifetime earnings of more than $462 million.

The group estimated that Wyoming's economy would see a combination of crime-related savings and additional revenue of about $9.5 million each year, if the male high school graduation rate increased by just 5 percent.

The Wyoming Legislature took a vital step earlier this year to make some progress in improving the high school graduation rate. It approved money for the state Department of Education to contract for a new position: a coordinator for students at risk of dropping out.

Chosen for the challenging assignment was Susan Kinneman, a former teacher who served as principal of an alternative high school in Green River, the Expedition Academy. She most recently was superintendent of Fremont County School District 2 in Dubois.

After working with students who have faced various barriers to their education, Kinneman seems well-suited for the job. Her duties will include coordinating an at-risk commission study, and examining how school affects at-risk student achievement.

She noted in a Star-Tribune interview that a variety of local and state agencies, as well as schools, now work to help temporarily derailed students get back on track. But Kinneman said sometimes the agencies fail to communicate with one another. The department's goal is to create a single support system for schools to call upon when they need help.

The state's at-risk coordinator should be able to help successful schools share their methods with others that may be struggling.

The Legislature, to its credit, has allocated more money for the K-12 system in recent years. The additional funds have helped school districts throughout the state hire more teachers, raise pay and begin new programs that have improved students' performance. In Natrona County two years ago, the district hired tutors, who work in every school at every grade level. The district also hired "instructional facilitators," or mentors for teachers.

Natrona County High School Principal Dean Kelly said tutors work with students on many things to re-engage them in school activities, including studying, coping and time management skills.

There's a lot at stake for each district. A high school's graduation rate is considered under the No Child Left Behind Act to help determine if the school is making "adequate yearly progress." Schools that fail to make AYP risk losing federal funds.

In addition to providing money for academic assistance, state lawmakers created the Hathaway Scholarships to encourage and financially help students continue their education past high school.

But it's clear that too many students, for whatever reasons, aren't getting the assistance they need to even complete high school. By choosing to concentrate on solutions to this very important problem, the Legislature and the Department of Education have started a process aimed at helping more students earn their diplomas. Whether they continue their education or join the work force, they should be in a much better position to succeed in the future.

Kinneman has a difficult task facing her, but it's one that should benefit from a fresh approach. We wish her success.