Graduation Rate is 95.2% at South Pas High, State Figures Show

The graduation rate for South Pasadena High School for the 2011-12 school year was 95.2 percent with a 3.7 percent dropout rate, according to figures released from the state Department of Education.

Out of 376 seniors, 14 dropped out, the data show. In 2010-11, the graduation rate was slightly higher, having reached 96.5 percent and the number of students who dropped out was 12. In 2009-10, South Pasadena Unified School District saw the same number of dropouts with a 95.5 percent graduation rate.

Superintendent Joel Shapiro said Wednesday that, as indicated in No Child Left Behind, SPUSD focuses on preparing every student to graduate from high school on time, ready for college or career. The district's goal, then, is a 100 percent graduation rate. Regarding the district's 95.2 percent, he offered this perspective on the state's data: 

"We know that there are factors that make it difficult to reach that goal. For one thing, students are listed as drop-outs if they leave our high school and we don't have a record of where they have re-enrolled. Some students move out of state or enroll in schools within California, but the state system is unable to track their continued attendance.

"So we know that some students listed as drop-outs have simply not been identified in their new schools, or they are being home-schooled. Some others are students who require more time to complete their graduation requirements, and they will earn their diploma in an adult school or other setting within a year of ther expected graduation date. Some others are special needs students with severe handicaps who are not on track to earn a high school diploma.

"Overall, the drop-out rate is smaller than what has been listed. This would be true for most high schools. Our focus is to continue to imrpove in this area, even though our graduation rate far exceeds that for most high schools,'' he said.

Statewide, according to the CDE data, 78.5 percent of Californians graduated with their class last year, up 1.4 percent from the previous year. Black and Hispanic students also posted gains of about a couple of percentage points each.

The statewide dropout rate declined 1.5 percent to 13.2 percent.

City News Service contributed to this story.

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