From The Hesperia Star
Posted Apr. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 28, 2015 at 9:27 PM
SAN BERNARDINO — Amid record-high statewide graduation rates, San Bernardino County maintained its own record-high 78.6 percent graduation rate while the dropout rate countywide edged up slightly to 12.2 percent, according to data released Tuesday by the California Department of Education.
Statewide, the cohort graduation rate rose 0.4 percent to 80.4 percent. The state's dropout rate rose 0.2 percent to 11.4 percent. The graduation and dropout data are for the 2013-14 academic year.
The Hesperia Unified School District chalked up the highest graduation rate among large districts in the Victor Valley at 87.2 percent.
"We have focused on student learning, while improving our intervention model and classroom engagement and enhancing programs designed to keep students in school," HUSD Superintendent David McLaughlins said in a statement issued Tuesday. "We also have a large and effective alternative education program for students who need an alternative to a comprehensive high school."
Snowline Joint Unified School District had the lowest local dropout rate among large districts at 7.2 percent.
"Obviously it's very gratifying and is the result of a lot of people's effort to get that result," Snowline Superintendent Luke Ontiveros said.
Ontiveros said early intervention with students' scholastic difficulties and the involvement of parents are key elements in supporting pupils. Depending on the campus, Snowline schools offer credit-recovery on the fly and "virtual school" as an ongoing support.
"It really addresses students' needs as they are happening," Ontiveros said.
And the district prepares kindergartners by taking them to a preview ceremony scheduled in the days before the high school graduation.
Both of those "traditional," larger school districts' numbers were topped by Apple Valley-based charter school Academy for Academic Excellence. AAE recorded no dropouts and a 97.8 percent graduation rate. As its name implies, the charter school focuses on academics and college readiness.
Lucerne Valley Unified School district had the highest dropout rate in the High Desert at 30.3 percent and the lowest graduation rate at 63.6 percent.
"We are certainly not OK with these numbers and continue to work on striving for the best," LVUSD Superintendent Suzette Davis said.
With about 730 students in the district and 220 at its high school, the LVUSD is one of the smallest in the area, and that can create large swings in graduation and dropout rates, according to Davis.
"A difference of 10 students in a very small district can dramatically skew the numbers," Davis said. "While those same 10 students in a larger neighboring district would barely bump a few tenths of a percentage, for smaller districts like ours it can make a difference plus or minus of around 15 percent."
Meanwhile, enrollment figures in K-12 grades countywide continued on a seven-year trend of decline, including a large drop in the number of English learners, according to the CDE report for the 2014-15 academic year.
"Our priority is to have more county students college- and career-ready, so it's imperative that we continue to grow our graduation rates and steadily decrease dropout rates," County Superintendent Ted Alejandre said in a statement. "Our trends largely mirror what is taking place statewide but we know there is more work that we need to do here as a region to remain economically viable."
Among county subgroups of students, African Americans showed the greatest growth in graduation rates, rising 1.6 percentage points to 72.2 percent. The Hispanic subgroup grew 0.5 percent to 77.1 percent, while white students dropped 1.8 percentage points to 83 percent.
During the five years of data collection through the state adoption of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, or CALPADS, San Bernardino County grad rates rose from 70.4 percent in the first year cohort in 2009-10, an increase of 8.4 percentage points.
Meanwhile, cohort dropout rates fell from 19.1 percent in 2009-10, a decline of 6.9 percentage points countywide.
During 2014-15, countywide enrollment dropped 887 students (0.2 percent) to 410,696 students in grades K-12. The top-five enrollment districts in the county are San Bernardino City Unified (53,365), Fontana Unified (39,470), Chino Valley Unified (29,937), Rialto Unified (26,225) and Chaffey Joint Union High (24,598). But all declined from 2013-14 levels.
The largest ethnic subgroups of students were Hispanics (63.16 percent), followed by whites (19.1 percent), African Americans (8.8 percent) and Asians (3.2 percent).
English learners' enrollment fell 3.6 percentage points to 78,696 students — the lowest level of English learners since 2010-11. They consist of 19.2 percent of all students countywide. Among them, 93 percent are Spanish-speakers, but among English learners countywide, there were 44 different languages spoken.
"Our record high graduation rate is great news, especially since it is occurring at the same time we are raising academic standards," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in a statement. "This is more evidence that the dramatic changes taking place in our schools are gradually helping to improve teaching and learning in every classroom.
"We have raised academic standards, started online testing, given local districts more flexibility in spending and provided more resources to students who need it most."
For more information on graduation, dropout and enrollment data, go to www.cde.ca.gov.
— Staff writers Anneli Fogt and Peter Day contributed to this report.- See more at: http://www.hesperiastar.com/article/20150428/NEWS/150429727#sthash.ZwBRus4E.dpuf
Comments
Post a Comment