Oasis Academy Reaches 100% Graduation Rate

By Rachel Dahl --  Leadership at Oasis Academy High School is celebrating this week after receiving confirmation from State of Nevada that their 2017-18 graduating class met the 100% graduation rate. Melissa Mackedon is the Chief Executive Officer of Oasis Academy and she says reaching this milestone is a real challenge. “Many of our students transfer in to our programs and they are credit deficient or have other situations to deal with.” She said that Oasis is prepared to put in the resources to do whatever it takes to get every student to graduation. “We look at each kid and what they need and then we match those needs to our resources, and we have to be ready to pay for those resources in many instances,” said Mackedon. Mackedon said that Rochelle Tisdale, the Executive Director of the College Prep High School at Oasis Academy works with her team of professionals, meeting weekly to discuss each student and their progress.  Each of the Oasis students is taking classes at Western Nevada College, so the cohort of support includes professors from WNC, teachers and counselors and academic coaches from Oasis, and each student. According to Mackedon, 15% of the Oasis students are on Individual Education Plans, with major, specific learning disabilities.  “We provide all the wrap around services and support that these kids need,” she said.  Several students come from traditionally underserved groups – with English as their second language, and some are first generation college students.  “It takes a ton of services to ensure success, and we provide that.” There were 20 students in the class of 2018, who graduated last spring, and Tisdale says there are 39 students in the 2019 class.  At graduation, 100% of those seniors will have earned the prestigious College and Career Ready Diploma. “Each student has an individual path,” she said.  “Several will graduate high school having also earned an AA degree from WNC, and some will have a Career and Technical Education certificate.” “Each week Rochelle’s whole team meets to discuss the progress, attendance, and grades of the individual students,” said Mackedon.  “It’s just about persistence, knowing what’s going on, making these kids the priority, stopping whatever you’re doing and tracking those kids down when you need to.”