High School Graduation Rates on the Rise
With June comes high school graduation, and along with it an opportunity to reflect on the educational outcomes of Alameda County students. In 2015, Alameda County districts produced the County’s highest graduation rate of the past six years. Graduation data from the California Department of Education indicates that the cohort graduation rate for Alameda County climbed to 85% for the 2014-2015 school year—meaning that of the students who entered high school as freshmen in 2011-2012, all but 15% graduated on time.
Alameda County 4-year Graduation Rates Steadily Rising
Overall, the graduation rate of Alameda County students has increased by 9.2 percentage points in the last six years, with an increase of 2.1 percentage points between 2014 and 2015.
Graduation rates for most student sub-populations and individual schools and districts also increased significantly. The graduation rate for Alameda County's African American students was 5 percentage points higher in 2014-2015 than the previous year, surpassing the rate of improvement for African American students in California overall (2.6 percentage points). Other notable improvements include rates for Hispanic/Latino students (up nearly three percentage points), English Language Learners (up 4.8 percentage points), and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged students (up 4 percentage points).
4-year Graduation Rate Improvement and Remaining Gap
However, despite the across-the-board increase, disparities in graduation outcomes still persist, as well as differences in how well students are prepared when they graduate. Recently released data from the office of civil rights indicates that certain student sub-populations experience disparities in school discipline, such as higher prevalence of out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, which can have significant impact on students' ability to graduate on time. Additionally, many low income students and students of color often do not access higher level courses, or courses that will prepare them to enter college upon graduation. Data from Alameda County indicates that rates of course access and in meeting CSU/UC entrance requirements vary considerably. Overall, 54.5% of students graduated meeting CSU or UC entrance requirements while 29% of African American males, 23% of English Language Learners, and 44% of socioeconomically disadvantaged students met the requirements.
A number of state policy actions may be having an impact on graduation rates statewide, including the implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which directs funds to districts and requires the implementation of local strategies to increase student success through the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), and the suspension in 2015 of the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) as a graduation requirement. To address differences in college readiness among groups, the 2016-2017 State Budget designated $200 million dollars for a block grant program that would increase funding for college readiness strategies for low-income students.
Most districts in Alameda County are continuing to increase both graduation rates and access to courses and career pathways programs for their students, as well as reduce dropout rates across the board. At the County level, the ICPC High School Success Work Group determined three different areas where the County could make a difference in increasing the number of students who graduate on time. The following are interventions for older youth that are based on national best practices:
- Ensuring that youth exiting the County Juvenile Justice Center are supported to make a smooth and effective transition back to school
- Exploring youth development models for summer bridge programs to enable successful transitions from 8th to 9th grade in target districts.
- Building capacity of all districts and County partners to engage in training around Trauma Informed Care.
ICPC continues working with County stakeholders to advance these strategies and explore innovative, cross-sector strategies and opportunities for policy change to support our collective work to increase the academic success of all students, with an emphasis on student sub-populations experiencing disparities in high school graduation and college readiness.
 The High Cost of Summer Vacation
Summer vacation can mean hidden costs for low-income students and families. Without access to quality summer learning opportunities that enable youth to build on the skills acquired during the school year, low-income youth can lose two to three months in reading and math while students who are able to participate in summer enrichment activities are able to build their skills.
These summer losses can build up over time, and along with the loss of supportive services and opportunities for physical activity available during the school year, can have lasting consequences on a student's health and well-being. Often referred to as the "Summer Slide," summer learning loss is a key contributing factor to the growing academic achievement gap experienced by low-income students. Ensuring that all students are provided with enriching summer opportunities and continued access to the necessary supports they have during the school year is essential to ensuring that students are continuously engaged in learning and successfully complete high school on track for college.
For more information on the importance of summer learning, check out the resources provided by the National Summer Learning Association.
|
Summer can also be a time of great stress for working families who lack access to affordable childcare and summer learning and activity options. In addition to academic setbacks, many low-income students can lose access to consistent nutritious meals provided during the school day. Summer food programs are designed to provide children from low-income families with subsidized meals during the summer, but data shows that in Alameda County, only 20% of free school lunch recipients received free summer meals in 2014. The Alameda County Community Food Bank provides a comprehensive list of sites throughout the County providing summer meals. |
