Dropout rates improve in L.A. Unified

The dropout rate in the Los Angeles Unified School District declined almost 17%, according to figures the district released today.

Those figures represent welcome news in a district beleaguered by budget cuts and ongoing battles over the future path of reforms. The numbers also raise questions about whether necessary budget reductions -- and how the district achieved them -- will undermine this apparent improvement in the nation's second-largest school system.  

The district dropout rate for the 2007-08 school year came in at 26.4%, trailing all other large urban school systems in California except Oakland Unified. But it's still progress, compared to 31.7% for the previous year.

The current numbers are more accurate than past measures because the state now tracks students individually. But there are still weaknesses in the system, because  it works best with students who remain in the state and in public schools. Students who go elsewhere -- out of state or to a private school -- are no longer tracked. In addition, the new system has been in effect for only two years, which means the four-year dropout rates are still estimated.

Graduation figures also were up in L.A. Unified by 7.8% to 72.4%.

District officials were delighted.

"This is good news," Supt. Ramon C. Cortines said in a release. "We continue to make steady progress year after year... We are not giving away diplomas simply for good attendance. Our students work hard to earn them."

Among interesting results: At Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights, the four-year dropout rate fell from 33.2% in 2006-07 to 23.8% the next. That's an improvement of 28% in one year. Put another way, previously one in three students would drop out. And that improved to fewer than one in four.

Roosevelt's improvement happened in the year before the school's takeover by a nonprofit under the purview of L.A. Mayor  Antonio Villaraigosa. In fact, these improved results happened under the district leadership of former Supt. David L. Brewer, who was forced out in December.

District officials attributed the success to the conversion of large high schools into clusters of smaller learning communities better suited to help students at risk of failure. Dropout prevention efforts also included a better coordination of counseling efforts to identify struggling ninth graders and allow older students a fifth year to complete high school.

Whether these gains will be sustained could depend on how well the school system adjusts to reduced resources. One casualty was a much-publicized outreach effort called "The Diploma Project." Many of those counselors involved will still be doing similar work, but they'll be organized differently to save money.

-- Howard Blume and Jason Song

Comments

[simon]

Looks like high unemployment encourages the pursuit of a high school diploma. It's a tough job market for drop-outs.

[U Call That Journalism?!]

Explaining their methods would help.

"Students who go elsewhere -- out of state or to a private school -- are no longer tracked."

Translation: "We have no idea where students are who stop attending CA public schools, so our #'s are way off."

Also unexplained are 5th year seniors & GED's. I assume they count GED's as graduates, which to me is cheating.

[SK]

During the budget crisis, I read comment after comment posted on this site trashing teachers and insinuating that perhaps laying off some of the them wasn't such a bad idea. Data like this, as well as the improving CST scores over the past several years, speaks strongly to the fact that there have been lower class sizes and improved (new) teacher quality. Now with class sizes increasing and the loss of excellent new teachers, I shudder to think what is going to happen to our students.

[Steve]

What good is a high school diploma if the students don't learn anything?

[Big Jim Slade]

LA Unified and dropouts' parents should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this situation to exist. Whether it's a third or a quarter of students dropping out, this is an unmitigated disaster for our society.

These kids are economically doomed for life without an education. Our society is equally doomed to failure. It's pretty obvious that one-quarter of the population can no longer pay for the benefits of the legislated to the other three quarters, regardless of what your local Democratic legislator promises.

That the leaders can congratulate themselves for some pathetic performance is disgusting.

[???]

Uh, these figures are a joke really. I have known dozens of high school kids at my school alone who remain on the roll at the school and marked absent 70 times a semester. These students have essentially dropped out but not to the district or the state. Since they are on the roll they are full-fledged students. Do not trust these numbers. They are really much higher.

[paula]

Lies and damn statistics. So much at fault when gathering these types of statistics. However, I have no doubt that lower class size and the efforts of many highly skilled LAUSD teachers account for any improvement you see in drop-out rates. Test
scores are notoriously unreliable as are some drop-out rates.
We appreciate you teachers and thank-you

[Tim]

Yeah boy! looks like drop out rates might go all the way down soon! yeayea