WCPSS Preliminary Graduation Rates Hold Steady
July 22, 2010 -- Preliminary North Carolina graduation rate data show that the Wake County Public School System’s overall rate held steady at 78.4 percent for a second year in a row. Additionally, seven student subgroups showed improvement, while three subgroups had a lower graduation rate.
The three student subgroups with the largest four-year graduation rate gains are:
- American Indian – 9 percentage points
- Economically Disadvantaged – 5.5 percentage points
- Hispanic – 3.3 percentage points
“I applaud and commend our teachers and principals who have worked hard to achieve these gains,” said Ron Margiotta, school board chair. “I know through our continued hard work we can build on these improvements.”
Asian students continue to graduate at a high rate and showed a 3 percentage point gain, while White students graduated at the same rate compared to the previous year. Multi-racial, Limited English Proficient (LEP) and male students were the only subgroups to see a decline.
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires schools that graduate twelfth-grade students to report a graduation rate as part of the measurement of Adequate Yearly Progress.
The graduation rate is based on the number of ninth grade students who graduate four years later. The NC Department of Public Instruction began reporting a four-year on-time graduation rate for each high school and district across the state based on the incoming ninth grade class of 2002-03.
WCPSS Four-year graduation rates
|
2009 4yr |
2010 4yr |
Change |
Male |
74.5% |
73.8% |
-0.7% |
Female |
82.5% |
83.1% |
0.6% |
American Indian |
86.7% |
95.7% |
9.0% |
Asian |
88.3% |
91.3% |
3.0% |
Black |
63.4% |
64.2% |
0.8% |
Hispanic |
51.1% |
54.4% |
3.3% |
Multiracial |
81.2% |
76.4% |
-4.8% |
White |
89.4% |
89.4% |
0.0% |
Economically Disadvantaged |
54.2% |
59.7% |
5.5% |
Limited English Proficient |
38.9% |
36.9% |
-2.0% |
Students with Disabilities |
56.8% |
57.3% |
0.5% |
Overall |
78.4% |
78.4% |
0.0% |
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, the NC Department of Public Instruction now uses both the four-year and five-year graduation rate for Adequate Yearly Progress determinations for high schools. The district’s overall average for the five-year rate remained at 81.6 percent for the second year in a row.
The largest gains in the five-year graduation rates are:
- American Indian – 14.7 percentage points
- Limited English Proficient – 5.7 percentage points
Female, Asian and Black subgroups showed small declines in their five-year graduation rates.
WCPSS Five-year graduation rate
|
2009 5yr |
2010 5yr |
Change |
Male |
77.8% |
78.0% |
0.2% |
Female |
85.5% |
85.2% |
-0.3% |
American Indian |
72.0% |
86.7% |
14.7% |
Asian |
92.7% |
91.8% |
-0.9% |
Black |
69.1% |
68.9% |
-0.2% |
Hispanic |
57.0% |
57.7% |
0.7% |
Multiracial |
82.7% |
83.1% |
0.4% |
White |
89.6% |
90.7% |
1.1% |
Economically Disadvantaged |
62.2% |
62.2% |
0.0% |
Limited English Proficient |
43.2% |
48.9% |
5.7% |
Students with Disabilities |
63.5% |
64.3% |
0.8% |
Overall |
81.6% |
81.6% |
0.0% |
Note: 2010 4yr and 5yr rates are unofficial as of July 21, 2010.
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