Poway Unified has highest graduation rate, lowest drop-out rate in county
By Pat Kumpan
A report released Thursday by the California Department of Education says Poway Unified School District has a 95 percent graduation rate, well above the state average of 74 percent and highest in the county, and the lowest dropout rate in the county.
PUSD surpassed San Dieguito Unified’s 94.4 percent, Carsbad Unified’s 92.4 percent and San Diego Unified’s 74.9 percent graduation rate.
Eric Lehew, who oversees PUSD testing, said that closing the achievement gap, seeing that students representing all ethnic groups graduate, continues to be a top priority.
The district’s dropout rate is a low 2.4 percent, the lowest in San Diego County, but he would like to see that rate drop to zero.
“Our goal is to have every student be successful — and have a post secondary education,” Lehew said.
An estimated nine out of 10 of PUSD’s African-American students, along with Hispanic and Latino students, are graduating, in comparison to 96 percent of white students.
Poway Unified high schools’ graduation rates listed first, followed by dropout rates, are as follows: Westview, 98.5 percent, 1.6 percent; Mt. Carmel, 96.4 percent, 1.9 percent; Poway, 95.8 percent, 1.1 percent; and Rancho Bernardo, 95.6 percent, 1.6 percent.
The state’s newly released data tracked students as individuals starting with freshman year in 2006 up through graduation in 2010 in what is now considered a “cohort,” or group rate.
“Now we can track those who come in, or leave, through four years, a much more accurate count of students,” said Karl Scheff with the state’s education department. “Before, we used data for one year.”
The new system takes into consideration the mobility of students, those moving into, or leaving a district, Scheff said.
The method also allows for tracking based on a five-year rate, which includes those who have not yet graduated, but not dropped out, he said.
“The new cohort data collection system shines a light on the middle school dropout problem,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
“Our research shows that chronic absence from school, even as early as kindergarten, is a strong indicator of whether a child will drop out of school later,” Torlakson said. “Clearly, we need to invest more in programs designed to keep elementary and middle school students in school.”
To access the graduation and dropout data, go online to dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest.