Partnership Principal Ken Ball

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     Four years ago, the drop-out rate at Oregon’s Nyssa High School was 12.6 percent; today it’s 1.5 percent.

     “We simply don’t accept failure,” says Principal Ken Ball. “One of our mottos is “Failure is not an option,’ and we have FINAO posted all over the school. We’ve done a pretty good job here of refusing to let kids fall through the cracks.”

     One key to the success is that Ken, his administrative team, and his 24 teachers believe in their hearts that all students can succeed.

    “When a student is struggling whether it’s academically or with behavioral problems, we bring in that youngster to clear the air,” he reports. “We explain that the number one objective here is providing an education, and students begin to understand why they are here. It starts to bring us onto the same playing field.”

   Student support is a big part of the success at Nyssa, a 9-12 school of approximately 300 youngsters, in Eastern Oregon. Based in a small community, the staff focuses on connecting with each young person.

    “Our goal is to reach each student every day in some way to help him or her become successful in personal achievement, responsibility, involvement, recognizing differences in others, and excellence,” Ken says. “With a smaller school, students feel as if there is a group of teachers there to assist them. Whereas, in some schools, kids may strive to find one coach or one teacher to befriend them, here they are likely to have seven teachers, an adviser, and a coach or activity sponsor all supporting them.”

    And that attention is paying off at the National School of Excellence. Student performance on state and local assessments consistently has improved during the past four years, and the district has recently been named the number one school district in Oregon. Rigor and relationships are the foundation for excellence, Ken reports.

     “We try to set the bar pretty high at Nyssa and strive to have all students either get into college, some other form of post-secondary education, or the workplace upon graduation. Good test scores are nice, but the real responsibility of any high school is to prepare young people for the next step in their lives.”

    In setting the “bar high,” Nyssa has developed a partnership with nearby Treasure Valley Community College where Nyssa students can take college colleges, including Math 111 to calculus, writing and chemistry. This year, college level courses in general psychology and nutrition are being added.

    Excellence is a school goal not just in the classroom but also in co-curricular activities. Nyssa’s wrestling teams have won the 2A state championship six consecutive years. The boys track and field teams are defending state champions, and the jazz band has been honored as the best in Oregon.

    “We want our students involved,” Ball explains. “It makes them more rounded people and leads to better performance in the classroom.”

    And the classroom is still the focus for students. If their gpa drops below 2.0 or if they fail a class, they are put on probation for four and a half weeks. If this condition continues for another four and a half weeks, the student-athlete can’t participate in co-curricular activities. After that period their situation is re-evaluated, and if they have met the eligibility standard they can return to their activity.

    Working in a high-poverty community with a diverse student body, Nyssa has some youngsters who struggle and has initiated specific programs to meet their needs. “Our school culture is one of caring,” Ken indicates.

    “We recognize that we, like many high schools, have a number of struggling readers,” Ball says; “but we don’t accept the fact that it’s too late for them.”

    Rather, Nyssa offers the Read 180 program for ninth and 10th graders that provides intense, computer based work in reading, listening, speaking and writing. Step Up to Writing is another program specifically designed to improve writing skills. In fact, the school’s educational goal focuses on literacy—improving reading and writing skills for all students.

     With all the challenges and successes at Nyssa High School, what is Ken’s most enjoyable aspect of school leadership? “Coming to school every day,” he answers. “My wife says I’m up here too much, but I like getting into the classroom and watching good teaching. I also like to see a dream become a reality, and we are witnessing that at our school”

     He also believes that “Every great leader teaches, and every great teacher leads.” Staff development and continual learning is a priority at Nyssa High School.

     More information on Nyssa High can be found on its Web site,www.nyssa.k12.or.us, or by contacting Ken, [email protected].

 
Past Focus Principals:

Focus- Dan Tenuta
Focus- Charlesetta Deason
Focus- Rene Posey
Focus- Stuart Baker
Focus- Paul Smith
Focus- Christie Gestvang
Focus- John A. Butterfield
Focus- Janie Hill Hatton
Focus- Steve Warmack
Focus-Glen Clark
Focus- William Dunn
Focus - Richard Pemberton
Focus - Dr. Anthony Spivey
Focus - John Weigel