From the Roanoke Times:
Virginia public high schools boasted an 83.2 percent graduation rate for the class of 2009, up from 82.1 the previous year. This is the second year a new tracking method allowed for graduation rates which are not based on estimates. The dropout rate for the same class was 7.9 percent, an improvement over last year’s 8.7 percent.
Let’s see…terms. Graduation rate vs Drop out rate. You want the graduation rate high and the drop out rate low. Shouldn’t they add up to 100%? Only in a perfect world. Big Dog first called out attention to this problem of enrollees disappearing and no requesting transcript papers. That is taken as a hit on the last school’s graduation rate. Drop out rate is actually students who come in and formally drop out of school rather than just disappearing.
The Roanoke Times has the link to all the data for all schools in Virginia. It is far too involved to post here. Prince William County is listed by individual high school. That gets very involved but gives the reader a good sense of comparison.
On a good note, the City of Manassas is looking better. Its drop out rate is getting less and its overall on-time graduation rate is getting higher. It’s easy to see that one because there is only 1 high school. Manassas Park continues to amaze me. Their graduation rates are high and drop out rates low. I have no idea how they do it. MP is always the the first place someone looks when they want to take a cheap shot. However, MP schools consistently score higher than surrounding jurisdictions on SOL tests also.
On to specifics–Notice the 2010 graduation rates for Hispanic students. The drop out rate is getting less and the graduation rate is getting better. Big Dog first brought up the idea that if a kid left abruptly, as many folks did back in 2007, 2008, 2009, and Osbourn never got notified of a receving school, then that school took the hit on their graduation rate. Very true and often really not fair. A kid enrolled on day one of 9th grade never comes back, then any school “owns” that kid until the time that kid would graduate. Any community that has a rapid turn over and kids returning to regions with less formal school systems is going to look real bad on paper.
Let’s look at the positive side of some of this. I see 29 students graduating with an advanced studies diploma. There were 61 standard diplomas. Cohort is the total number of Hispanic students.
| Year | 2010 |
| School | Osbourn High |
| Division | Manassas City |
| School yype | Public school – Regular |
| Subgroup | Hispanic |
| Cohort | 149 |
| Advanced studies diploma | 29 |
| Standard diploma | 61 |
| Modified standard diploma | 0 |
| Special diploma | |
| General achievement diploma | 0 |
| Virginia on-time graduation rate | 62.4 |
| GED | 10 |
| Certificate of completion | 0 |
| Total completion rate | 69.1 |
| Dropouts | 43 |
| Dropout Rate |
28.9 |
Some conclusions:
You can’t make kids go to school at gun point.
You cannot change job and family dynamics but so much.
Some of these kids might have undocumented parents.
Some of the 29 advanced diploma kids might be undocumented and if that is the case. will never be able to attend a 4 year college or university. What a waste of potential.
Congratulations to Manassas City for the improvments shown. We all know there is only so much you all can do.
Check out all data. Click here.
Information is provided for every jurisdiction in Virginia.
M-H, thank you for highlighting this information.
You are more than welcome Big Dog. I knew this issue concerned you. I think your remarks have been valid. It is time for these high schools not to have to own the problem of kids who disappear.
It was also a pleasure to see those 26 advanced diploma kids.
Anyone know if GED’s are tracked? What I mean is, say someone graduates in 2010 but doesn’t get a GED until 2012. What happens with those numbers?
Looks like a lot of my ethnicity may be going into the fuel distro or food services line of business..
Education seems to be more of a 2nd+ generational concern versus 1st gen. Also, on the whole, latinos value education less than work. I bet people have done books or studies on it.
Marin, I am glad you made that point. In general, I found that work was very valued and education wasn’t what put the food on the table.
If they haven’t done studies on it, they should. It is fairly basic. That which gives you food, clothing and shelter is valued above those things that don’t. You are right that 2nd generation takes to academics better but…some first generation kids do also and that is what breaks my heart. I don’t like to see people doomed to a station in life because of their parents. It is unAmerican.
MH, the graduation rate and drop-out rate wouldn’t add up to 100% because they don’t measure the same thing. The graduation rate, aka the “on-time” graduation rate, means the percent of students who graduate “on-time” four years after first registering as 9th graders. This is sooo unfair to districts with high numbers of LEP students, such as mine. It is highly unlikely that an LEP student who enters 9th grade with no English and academic deficiencies will acquire English and earn credits fast enough to graduate 4 years later. We cheer these students for sticking to it and maybe graduating in 6 years! This is something to be proud of, and instead the school district gets penalized by this new measure of “success”, i.e. the on-time graduation rate. Who decreed that there is something magical about students who graduate in 4 years anyway? This is simply not feasible for all LEP students.
Furthermore, districts who allow LEP students to remain enrolled after age 21 also get penalized. Students who do not graduate by age 21 are considered “drop outs”, never mind if they are still hanging in there. Many districts play the statistics game by refusing to let older LEP students enroll if they are not likely to earn enough credits to graduate by age 21. Districts which do the right thing by allowing students to continue after 21 look bad in the statistics, and districts who never let the students in look good.
So what is a district to do? Worry about the data posted on websites, or do the right thing? Regarding LEP statistics, it is important not to make judgments without knowing the story behind the numbers.
Thanks for that explanation, Firedancer. Hopefully people will stop being so judgemental over schools who might appear to have a lower than normal graduation rate.
http://www.cartoonbank/greetings-earthling-how-are-the-schools/invt/13386/
School ratings posted on the web aren’t just blog banner. Any parent
searching for a place to live reads these and the stats impact buying/renting
decisions that, over time, will have a major economic impact on a community.
The smart upwardly mobile civic minded young families we seek
to join our communities will research us on the net, but they may not
read all the school ranking footnotes. There is a tremendous amount
of banter about quality schools – talk to a realtor.