APS Releases Dropout and Graduation Rates

NEWS RELEASE # 54
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2011

 

APS Releases Dropout and Graduation Rates

Dropout rates in APS have declined by one-third over the past four years. During the 2009-10 school year, 6.9% of APS middle and high school students dropped out of school compared to 9.9% in 2006-07. The state dropout rate was 3.1% in 2009-10. The reduction in APS dropouts is credited to increased retention efforts, a strong truancy program, and leveraging resources to address the root causes related to students dropping out.

The overall graduation rate for the Aurora Public Schools Class of 2010 increased 3.3%. This 58.6% rate reverses a downward trend in graduation rates over the past decade. Included in the 58.6% rate are all students attending traditional high schools who earned diplomas and APS ASCENT students who were eligible for graduation but are continuing their studies with concurrent enrollment at both APS and the Community College of Aurora.

This is the first time that the Colorado Department of Education is providing a four-year ‘on-time’ graduation rate for school districts. The on-time graduation rate includes students who started the ninth grade in 2005-06, and calculates the percent of these students who graduate in four years.

The APS ‘on-time’ graduation rate is 45.5%. The inclusion of APS ASCENT students brings the rate up to 48.7%, an increase of 4.2% from 2008-09. The Colorado on-time graduation rate is 72.4%.

“In some cases, the new formula would appear to penalize districts that are making a concerted effort to keep students in school,” said CDE Deputy Commissioner Diana Sirko. “If a district runs a strong concurrent enrollment program, for instance, they could be doing a terrific job of keeping students engaged in school but the new on-time rate makes it look as if their overall performance has dropped. The new formula is not designed to send a message about the pros or cons of efforts to provide safety nets or genuine alternatives for students. The new formula provides a common definition nationwide for comparability’s sake – and that’s all.” 

More than 20% of students from the 2010 class are still enrolled in APS and working towards their diploma, GED and/or college credit. The Rebound-Ombudsman program aggressively recruits students who have dropped out of school. These students have returned to school and are now working to earn their diplomas. More than 106 students have graduated from the Rebound-Ombudsman program.

The Futures program also actively brings students back to school. These students may not be able to graduate due to their age (close to 21 years old), but they are prepared to enter the community college system and earn college credit.

“It’s important to understand, too, that a number of the students who don’t graduate in four years are continuing to pursue their high school diploma,” said Judith Martinez, director of the Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement.

“Many students are in five-year programs that incorporate college-level work. Others, such as recently re-engaged dropouts or students from migrant families, are challenged with finishing high school in four years,” she added. “This new formula simply tells us how many students are graduating from high school in four years, how many others require additional time and how well we as a state are doing in reducing the drop-out rate or re-engaging students.”

Besides the Rebound-Ombudsman and Futures programs, APS has many initiatives in place to increase student success including:

• Academic and Career Pathway programs are focused on providing students choices that encourage ownership and motivation for success in college and careers.
• A Response to Intervention model allows teachers to proactively identify and respond to student learning needs.
• Student engagement efforts include equity training to ensure that staff members are responsive to the interests of APS students who come from more than 100 countries and speak more than 90 languages.
• APS is focused on reducing the number of students who are failing courses early in high school and offering extensive opportunities for credit recovery.
• Staff members are committed to making strong connections with students through various methods, such as mentoring.
• APS Online is enhancing opportunities for students who need to catch up as well as for those who are excelling and need to move ahead.
• APS has expanded the Counselor Corps Grant program by hiring six ninth-grade level counselors to help students create Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAPs) and reach their post-secondary goals. The counselors focus on students who are at-risk for truancy and possible dropout.

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Paula Hans at 303-326-2755 for more information

 APS Communication Department
Georgia Durán, Chief Communication Officer
303-365-7805
FAX: 303-326-1939
e-mail: grduran@aps.k12.co.us
http://www.aps.k12.co.us/communications