- Supt. Terry Grier salutes results; watch video.
- See news coverage from San Diego Union-Tribune, KPBS-FM
San Diego Unified’s estimated dropout rate declined by 8.5 percentage points for the 2007-08 school year, to 9.3 percent, according to figures released today by the state Department of Education, lower than the 20.1 percent average statewide.
The current four-year estimated rate of 9.3 percent also bested other large California districts such as Los Angeles (34.9 percent), Fresno (28.0), Sacramento City (19.6), San Francisco (18.0) and Long Beach (16.2). Among the state’s largest districts, only Garden Grove had a lower rate, at 9.1 percent, according to state figures.
"Making sure our kids graduate from high school is our mission at San Diego Unified,” said Superintendent Terry Grier. “I want to salute not only our hard-working high school students, but our hard-working teachers and staff who have really pulled together show solid improvement."
The four-year rate estimates the percentage of students who begin ninth grade and graduate by the end of 12th grade. Much of San Diego Unified’s improvement came from better data, as staff verified individual dropouts as much as possible. In past years, students who transferred to other districts might have been considered dropouts by the state.
In addition, programs such as graduation coaches, credit recovery, providing more options for high school students on campus, the new Virtual High School and San Diego Early Middle College at San Diego City College, expanding career technical education and the small high schools have proven successful for many students.
Grier said the higher, four-year dropouts rates for African American (10.9 percent) and Latino students (13.3 percent) are still a problem.
"We continue to work from elementary to high school to make sure all of our students graduate,” he said. “We should not be satisfied if one student drops out.”
To review numbers for the district and individual schools, go to the California Department of Education’s website, http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/
| | 2007 | 2008 | Percent Change |
| Clairemont | 6.7 | 3.7 | -3.0 |
| Crawford CHAMPS | 13.3 | 7.1 | -6.2 |
| Crawford IDEA | 19.0 | 14.9 | -4.1 |
| Crawford Law & Business | 40.9 | 7.8 | -33.1 |
| Crawford MVAS | 12.4 | 13.1 | 0.7 |
| Henry | 5.5 | 1.9 | -3.6 |
| | 24.0 | 17.2 | -6.8 |
| | 3.0 | 1.4 | -1.6 |
| | 16.8 | 0.7 | -16.1 |
| | 8.0 | 1.7 | -6.3 |
| | 12.3 | 2.6 | -9.7 |
| | 2.7 | 1.5 | -1.2 |
| | n/a | 14.6 | n/a |
| | 11.3 | 4.0 | -7.3 |
| Mira Mesa | 5.8 | 1.3 | -4.5 |
| | 13.6 | 7.9 | -5.7 |
| Morse | 23.6 | 13.6 | -10.0 |
| Pt. Loma | 14.9 | 6.4 | -8.5 |
| SD High Business | 31.9 | 19.9 | -12.0 |
| SD High CIMA | 30.3 | 29.5 | -0.8 |
| SD High Intl. Studies | 14.2 | 3.5 | -10.7 |
| SD High LEADS | 26.8 | 10.1 | -16.7 |
| SD High MVAS | 33.5 | 18.1 | -15.4 |
| SD High SciTech | 25.7 | 13.0 | -12.7 |
| Scripps Ranch | 5.0 | 2.2 | -2.8 |
| Serra | 5.5 | 1.8 | -3.7 |
| | 2.1 | 1.2 | -0.9 |
Largest California School Districts
| District | 2007 | 2008 | Percent Change |
| | 17.8 | 9.3 | -8.5 |
| | 5.0 | 9.1 | 4.1 |
| | 19.6 | 18.0 | -1.6 |
| | 31.7 | 34.9 | 3.2 |
| | 19.3 | 16.2 | -3.1 |
| | 22.5 | 19.6 | -2.9 |
| | 31.2 | 28.0 | -3.2 |
| | 21.1 | 20.1 | -1.0 |
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