"Montgomery County #1 in Graduation Rate"
June 10, 2009
By JOHN HENREHAN/myfoxdc
ROCKVILLE, Md. - Among the 50 largest school districts in the nation, Montgomery
County Public Schools has tied for first place in graduation rates.Along with
a school district in Cypress-Fairbanks, Texas, Montgomery County high schools
graduate 80.7 percent of their students. . . .
Oscar Portillo, who graduated this month from Wheaton High School, is headed
off to college next fall. His background would not suggest such academic success.
"My father went to sixth grade. That's the highest level he got," said
Portillo. "And my mother went to second grade. That's the highest level
she got. I wanted to be the first person in my family to graduate from high
school."
Portillo has achieved that goal, and then some. After blasting through his
English as a second language classes, he took demanding academic courses at
the suggestion of his teachers and counselors. That choice and Oscar's subsequent
solid grades prompted Middlebury College to offer Portillo a four-year scholarship
covering tuition, room, and board.
Portillo is currently fluent in Spanish, English, and Italian. At college,
he plans to study either Chinese or Japanese while earning a degree in international
relations.
The 19-year-old student took advantage of the College Tracks program based
at his high school. The program teaches students and their parents how to assess
colleges, how to apply for admission, and how to ask for financial aid.
CollegeTracks' Mission
Improve college access for Montgomery County's public high school students who are most at risk of not attending college — first-generation college bound, low-income, minority, and immigrant youth.
The CollegeTracks Program
CollegeTracks works with students and families at Wheaton, Blair, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High Schools to:
Inspire them to explore their postsecondary education options
Advise and Support them through the complicated college admissions process and
Help them Secure the financial aid they need to attend
CollegeTracks Results
In the past five years, CollegeTracks helped over 500 high school students get to college or technical school right after graduation.
"CollegeTracks not only helps you to get into college but it helps you find out who you are and who you want to be in the future. It helps you find a college that suits your personality and interests. I love being here — maybe because I want a better life in the future."
