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Prevention advocates want to increase community involvement and change rules that hamper success.

By KELLEY BOUCHARD, Staff Writer July 28, 2009

ORONO — Anthony Lary was disconnected when he stopped attending Portland High School during his sophomore year.

He was living on his own, looking for a job and a purpose in life, without support from his parents. Neither of them had graduated from high school, so he couldn't see the point.

Then a friend talked Lary into going back to school when he was a junior.

He found refuge with and encouragement from the teachers in Portland High's alternative education program.

"They were more connected with us," said the 18-year-old Lary. "It was more like a family in the classroom."

Lary, who graduated in June, was one of three former Portland High dropouts who took center stage at the opening of Maine's first statewide dropout prevention summit Monday at the University of Maine.

More than 250 educators, public officials, business leaders and others are attending the two-day summit, which continues today.

They are drawing up a plan to increase the statewide graduation rate from 81 percent in 2006-2007 to 90 percent by 2015-2016, with a long-range goal of 100 percent.

"This summit shows that the people of this state are starting to realize that this is a community issue, not just a school issue," said Portland High Principal Mike Johnson, one of 12 educators attending from Maine's largest school district.

Portland's graduation rate for its three high schools was 75 percent in 2006-2007.

The national rate ranged from 66 percent to 71 percent between 1996 and 2006.

Summit sponsors include the Maine Department of Education, America's Promise Alliance, Gov. John Baldacci's Children's Cabinet and the Maine Shared Youth Vision Council.

"We as a state don't have a plan, which is why we're here today," said Karen Baldacci, the governor's wife.

Maine must adopt education strategies and policies that focus on students and are less driven by the structure of the system, said Education Commissioner Susan Gendron.

As it stands, 3,810 of the 16,088 students who were expected to graduate from Maine high schools in June dropped out, according to early estimates provided at the summit.

That's 21 students each school day.

"We're not going to tolerate 21 people a day leaving school," said Mike Brennan, a former Portland legislator who is co-chairman of the Shared Youth Vision Council.

Summit participants said they want to improve links between agencies that are working on the dropout problem -- including several featured at the summit -- and increase involvement of community groups that should be.

Students and alternative education advocates also said state and federal regulations that hamper student success must be changed.

They noted that students are still counted as dropouts even if they return to high school and take an extra year to graduate, or if they earn a diploma through adult education or another program outside a traditional high school.

"We have to break down those barriers," said Jim Morse, Portland's newly appointed superintendent, whose comments drew applause from summit participants.

A former Portland High dropout himself, Morse has pledged to increase the district's graduation rate.

The Portland High students at the summit agreed with Morse.

Sovanaka Diep said alternative education allowed her to return to school, catch up with her peers, participate in service-learning projects and graduate on time.

She said she plans to attend college.

"I've changed so much," Diep said in a video produced under the guidance of Beth Arsenault, alternative education teacher at Portland, and social worker Sophie Payson. "I've really redeemed myself."

Courtney Connolly read a moving essay about her father's suicide, which occurred when she was 7.

She's on track to graduate in 2010 with more credits than she needs and plans to become a veterinarian.

"I'm...