Entering high school for the first time can be an intimidating experience, so much so that ninth graders may lag behind in their course work and may even contemplate dropping out.

The American Association of School Administrators said more than 1.2 million ninth graders will fail to graduate from high school with their peers. According to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, in it’s annual County Health Rankings published March 30, only 55 percent of ninth graders in Dallas County will graduate from high school compared to 92 percent of ninth graders who will graduate nationally.

Selma City Schools superintendent of education Don Jefferson said the graduation percentage is determined by a long term tracking of ninth graders throughout their high school career.

“Let’s say a school starts out with 350 ninth grade students and as students’ senior year approaches there are only 150 students graduating instead of 350,” Jefferson said. “That’s how the graduation rate is figured.”

Jefferson said he is trying to approach dropout on the front end before students enter into high school.

“If students feel good about themselves and not feel frustrated or flustered by school work, then they can have a better chance of completing high school,” Jefferson said. “If ninth graders had the rigor they’re supposed to have in their class work, there would not be future problems.”

The Alabama State Department of Education recently launched a Dropout Prevention Awareness Campaign called “Every Child a Graduate,” to identify at-risk youth, provide student programs and services and encourage community leaders and parents to help reverse the dropout trends. Enacted as a state law in 1999, the act hopes to change mandatory attendance to 17.

“Ensuring that every child becomes a high school graduate is a central objective of the state board of education,” said Joe Morton, State Superintendent of Education. “We are dedicated to creating innovate and rigorous programs that help students graduate.”

Jefferson said for the past three years, Selma High students have made less than the minimum requirements on the Alabama High School Graduation Exam’s language, science and reading sections. Jefferson said scores are unacceptable.

“We want our kids to rise above the minimal standards,” Jefferson said. “We want to be data driven and use the information as a tool to make decisions based on our strengths and weaknesses and place more emphasis on the weak areas.”

Dr. Fannie McKenzie, superintendent of Dallas County schools, said contrary to the university’s report, dropout rates for students have improved over the last 50 years.

“The perception of dropout rates worsening is inaccurate,” McKenzie said. “We’re doing everything in our power to ensure our students stay in school and graduate.”

Students can stay on track, McKenzie said, by repeating portions of course objectives they haven’t mastered instead of repeating an entire course.

The state has also designed such programs as credit recovery, academic flexibility, graduation coaches and varying degree options to support the individual needs of all students.