Dropout Rate Down Nearly 60 Percent Since 2007; Graduation Rate Up 10 Percent
City Schools cuts dropouts by more than half in three years.
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released 2009-10 high school performance data for the state’s school districts today, and for the third straight year Baltimore City Public Schools posted its best-ever dropout and graduation rates, driven largely by the district’s ability to reduce dropouts by more than half in the last three years. In 2009-10, 1,481 fewer students dropped out of school than in 2006-07, when 2,579 students dropped out—a three-year reduction of 57 percent.
City Schools’ 2009-10 dropout rate is 4.1 percent, down from 6.2 percent in 2008-09 and 9.4 percent in 2006-07, a three-year decline of 56 percent. Its graduation rate is 66 percent, up from 62.7 percent in 2008-09 and 60.1 percent in 2006-07, a three year increase of 10 percent.
These improvements in City Schools’ graduation and dropout rates are consistent with improvements at the state level; the state’s 2009-10 graduation rate is also up and its dropout rate is at an 11-year low. The improvements in City Schools’ graduation and dropout rates also represent the largest improvements in dropout and graduation rates of all Maryland school districts since 2002-03.
“Baltimore City’s efforts to keep students on the path to graduation are to be commended,” said State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick. “All students can achieve academic success, and this data is consistent with improvements across the state. More students are becoming successful, and are working toward becoming college and career-ready.”
“These latest high school results—the ultimate measure of how well a district is doing overall—provide an unprecedented three-year view of City Schools, and underscore the success to date of the transformation underway since 2007,” said Baltimore City Board of school Commissioners Chair Neil E. Duke. “More City Schools students than ever before are progressing through high school, and meeting the necessary academic requirements to graduate and chart a successful course after graduation.”
“These results are about changing our future as a city,” said City Schools CEO Andrés A. Alonso. “This year’s high school results—and our momentum as a district to date—are largely thanks to the tremendous dedication and work of our parents, staff and partners. This is a community effort, and while there is still a lot to do I know we will get there together.”
City Schools’ 2009-10 dropout rate of 4.1 percent is its lowest since the state began recording the statistic. Through aggressive work to bring dropouts back and create more and better school options to meet students’ many diverse interests and needs, the district has been able to retain and graduate more students. The number of students who received diplomas in 2009-10 was 4,421, up from 4,285 in 2008-09 and 4,118 in 2006-07, a three-year increase of 7.4 percent. As a result of this increase, the district’s graduation rate rose to a record 66 percent.
When those students who dropped out of school and returned and graduated are factored in, this rate goes up to 70.2 percent. Because the official, 66 percent rate does not account for these students who leave and come back, MSDE recognized an “unduplicated” graduation rate for City Schools last year, stating that it more accurately reflected the achievements of a cohort of students, and reflected efforts by City Schools to recapture students who may have left school. The unduplicated rate increased from 66.6 percent in 2008-09 to 70.2 percent last year.
“Baltimore's progress in raising graduation rates and lowering dropout rates stands out from a national perspective. Few districts have been able to achieve gains of such magnitude over such a short time span,” said Bob Balfanz, research scientist for Johns Hopkins University’s Talent Development High Schools.
A disaggregation of dropout and graduation rates by student subgroup shows growth at a deeper level that is critical to academic growth in City Schools over the long term. The dropout rate for African American students (4 percent), who comprise 88 percent of the student population, decreased by 58 percent over three years, and for the first time in 2009-10 it was lower than the district average (4.1 percent). Over the same period, the graduation rate for African American students (65.9 percent) increased 10.4 percent, a growth rate that exceeds that of the district. Students with disabilities showed similar growth: their dropout rate declined 41 percent in the last three years, and their graduation rate grew 19 percent during that time.
According to the data MSDE released today, City Schools saw continued, across-the-board improvement in the performance of its high school students last year. In addition to record graduation and dropout rates, students passed more High School Assessments (HSAs) than in past years and took more Advanced Placement courses and exams. Students passed 13,902 HSAs across four subject areas (Algebra, English, Government and Biology) in 2009-10. This is up from 13,398 tests in 2008-09, the first year that students in Maryland were required to meet the HSA requirement in order to graduate, and 10,392 tests in 2006-07—an increase of 34 percent in three years.
This growth has been driven by steady gains across student subgroups, with particularly marked increases since 2006-07, when City Schools embarked on a major transformation of the school system in which it has given schools more autonomy in exchange for greater accountability for student achievement and created more and better school options for students, particularly in the middle and high school grades. The number of HSAs passed by students with disabilities has more than quadrupled in the last three years; the number passed by English Language Learner students has doubled; the number passed by low-income students has nearly doubled; and the number passed by African American students is up by more than one-third.
“I want to congratulate the students, teachers and parents of Baltimore City for demonstrating for another year that no bar is too high, and no achievement too great,” said Gov. Martin O'Malley. “Even with additional graduation requirements, the students in Baltimore—and throughout our state—proved they were up for the challenge and showed that high expectations do not represent an impediment to progress, but rather a goal to be surmounted. Our schools are the best in the nation because together, even in tough times, we chose to invest at record levels in our schools with the understanding that a quality of education is the foundation for a child's life.”
“There is a quiet storm of nation-leading education reform happening right here in Baltimore City Public Schools,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “This significant rise in graduation rates reflects our continued progress in advancing the entire school system to the vanguard of public education transformation.”
More City Schools students are also preparing for college, due to greater access to AP offerings in the last three years. The number of high schools that offer AP courses increased from 13 in 2006-07 to 30 in 2009-10, as did the total number of AP courses, from 58 in 2006-07 to 122 in 2009-10. City Schools students responded by taking more AP classes and exams: 2,487 students enrolled in AP courses and took 2,148 AP exams in 2009-10, compared to 1,188 students enrolled in AP courses who took 1,208 exams in 2006-07.
“When you make a strong commitment to cutting the dropout rate you can get results,” said former Governor Bob Wise (D-WV), president of the Alliance for Excellent Education. “Today’s report makes it clear that important progress is being made in Baltimore on a tough issue that has tremendous importance for the future of Baltimore’s students, but also for future of the city’s economy.”
“The growth we’re seeing among our high school students—this is what makes the work exhilarating for all who strive to do right by kids,” Alonso said.
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