Oregon high school graduation rates tick upward

Oregon’s high school graduation rate continues to climb, although it’s still well short of the national average, according to data released Thursday by the Oregon Department of Education.

The four-year graduation rate for all students in the Class of 2016 is 74.8 percent, up from 73.8 percent for the Class of 2015 and 72.0 percent for the Class of 2014. More importantly, officials said, the graduation rate for almost all historically underserved student populations grew at a faster rate than the overall graduation rate.

Oregon regularly has one of the nation’s lowest graduation rates, and the uptick still leaves it below the national average of 83 percent. The state has set an ambitious goal of attaining a 100 percent graduation rate by 2025.

The state graduated 1,300 more students in 2016 than in the previous year. All demographic groups improved their rates.

Almost 90 percent of Asian students graduated in four years, but white, black, Hispanic and American Indian students all remain short of 80 percent. Seventy-eight percent of girls graduated in four years compared with 71 percent of boys.

“My goal is that students graduate high school with a plan for their futures, and we should celebrate 1,300 more Oregon students charting promising paths,” Governor Kate Brown said. “I remain committed to improving Oregon’s graduation rates, and will prioritize investments in the upcoming legislative session that empower communities and educators to improve graduation rates, particularly for historically underserved and rural communities.”

“It shows the dedication of our teachers and school administrators that graduation rates are increasing across the board,” said Deputy Superintendent Salam Noor. “We are making progress, while recognizing there is still more work to do. We are pleased our state’s focus on improving graduation outcomes for all students is making a difference.”

“These rate increases are encouraging signs of the impact that can occur when communities, educators, and schools work together to create equitable opportunities, forge strong relationships with students and families, and address the unique needs of each of our students,” said Education Innovation Officer Colt Gill. “Moving forward, our job is to effectively support our students and educators to ensure we erase historic gaps in achievement and meaningfully prepare our students for the future.”

Highlights of the report include significant gains in the student groups where the largest graduation gaps exist:

· African American students up 3.6 points to 66.1 percent (53.3 percent in 2011)

· American Indian/Alaska Native students up 1.4 points to 56.4 percent (50.8 percent in 2011)

· Hispanic/Latino students up 2.0 points to 69.4 percent (59.5 percent in 2011)

· Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students up 6.9 points to 70.1 percent (66.2 percent in 2011)

· Ever English Learners (students who are now or ever have been classified as English Language Learners) up 4.2 points to 71.1 percent (58.0 percent in 2012, the first year of data collection for that group)

· Limited English Proficient students up 1.7 points to 52.9 percent (49.2 percent in 2011)

· Students with disabilities up 2.8 points to 55.5 percent (38.2 percent in 2011)

In addition, every other student demographic group demonstrated gains:

· Asian students up 0.5 points to 88.0 percent (80.7 percent in 2011)

· White students up 0.6 points to 76.6 percent (69.1 percent in 2011)

· Multi-Racial students up 1.7 points to 74.4 percent (69.1 percent in 2011)

· Female students up 0.6 points to 78.4 percent (72.9 percent in 2011)

· Male students up 1.3 points to 71.4 percent (64.3 percent in 2011)

“Closing the achievement gap is crucial to ensuring education equity in Oregon,” said Noor. “Although many of the gaps remain large, it is good news for all Oregonians when the disparity in graduation rates decreases. It is critical that we continue to work together to help Oregon students achieve at their highest potential.”

View the graduation rates, including by district, on the ODE website .

Additionally, two reports focused on graduation rates in Oregon were released Thurs day :

Oregon Department of Education

January 2017 Research Brief: Oregon Students Continue to Improve On-Time Graduation Rate

Chief Education Office

Oregon’s Education Innovation Officer Community Engagement Report and Call to Action

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Bend-La Pine Schools news release:

The graduation rate for students in Bend-La Pine Schools continues to outpace the graduation rate of students statewide, according to information released by the Oregon Department of Education Thurs day .

Bend-La Pine Schools’ graduation rate for the Class of 2016 was 77.52 percent, up slightly from the rate of 77.2 last year and 3 percentage points higher than the overall state average graduation rate. This continues the district’s steady upward trend during the past decade and is the second highest graduation rate ever recorded by Bend-La Pine Schools.

“We are proud to see that our students continue to graduate at a higher rate than the state. That said, we won’t be satisfied until we see every student in our schools graduate,” said Superintendent Shay Mikalson.

The 2015-16 graduation rate for the district’s five high schools are:

Bend Senior High School: 86.06 percent

La Pine High School: 75.68 percent

Marshall High School (the district’s alternative high school): 32.93 percent

Mountain View High School: 84.79 percent

Summit High School: 87.44 percent

About the Numbers: The graduation rate tracks students beginning in ninth grade and measures how many of those students graduate within four years. The rate is adjusted for students moving in or out of the district.

Specific highlights:

Marshall High School, an alternative high school, saw its graduation rate climb dramatically, up nearly 12 percentage points from the Class of 2015 to the Class of 2016. Bend-La Pine Schools’ graduation rate for students who are classified as Ever English Learners increased 7.5 percentage points, up to 64.3 percent. The graduation rate for students who are classified as disadvantaged by the state (poverty, English language learners, special education, etc.) also ticked up for Bend-La Pine Schools, to 69.1 percent from 68.6 percent last year. Adding in students who earned GEDs or other alternative certificates, Bend-La Pine Schools’ school completion rate increases to 83.15 percent, which is also an uptick from last year and well above the state average of 78.11 percent.

Recent Four-Year Graduation Rate Data for Bend-La Pine Schools:

This year’s graduation rate is an increase from last year’s rate and continues an overall steady upward trend.

Bend-La Pine Schools Oregon

2015-16: 77.5 percent 74.8 percent

2014-15: 77.2 percent 73.8 percent

2013-14: 77.2 percent 72.0 percent

2012-13: 78.6 percent 68.7 percent

2011-12: 72.2 percent 68.4 percent

2010-11: 68.2 percent 67.7 percent

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Redmond School District news release:

Redmond, Ore. – On Jan. 26th the Oregon Department of Education released a report detailing four-year high school graduation rates. For the class of 2016, Redmond School District showed an 8.6% increase in graduation rates, which rose to 79.1%, outpacing the state average.

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students who graduate with a high school diploma within four years of starting 9th grade. Improved graduation rates in addition to growing enrollment in Redmond School District accounted for an increase of 91 more students earning diplomas last year than the year prior.

“We embrace this opportunity to celebrate our students, families and educators and the enormous amount of hard work that has been done over the past several years to make success possible for every student in the Redmond School District. We are working to build hope for students by creating a safe and engaging environment where each student is known and valued as the amazing individuals that they are.” said RSD Superintendent Mike McIntosh.

Redmond School District has taken a focused approach to making progress on graduation rates by providing engaging and relevant learning experiences while building meaningful relationships with students and the community. “It’s important to us that we build strong relationships with students and families and take into account the varying needs of our community.” McIntosh says.

“We are pleased with the recent jump in graduation rates, and at the same time acknowledge there is much work to be done in order to reach our goal of ensuring each student completes high school prepared for a successful future.”

Statistics for the Redmond School District show a dropout rate holding at 3.9%, which is comparable to the state average.

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Crook County School District news release:

This week, Oregon Department of Education released the graduation rates for all Oregon schools, including Crook County.

Like educational leaders across the state, the administration team at Crook County School District is looking at this data and comparing it to previous year’s data to look for areas of improvement as we strive toward our goal of 100% of our senior students graduating high school college or career ready.

We are extremely pleased that Crook County High School has landed at the top of all high schools in the Central Oregon region. We still have some room to improve and will continue to look for ways to do that.

The District is also working hard to improve the graduation rate of our community students from vulnerable student populations that attend Rimrock Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility, Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) and Pioneer Alternative School.

The overall district percentage has grown to 67.73%. Although our graduation rate has increased each of the last three years, we still have work to do. If you have any questions regarding this data, please contact Stacy Smith, CCSD Curriculum and Special Programs Director, at 541-447-5664.