Better than Ever: Tosa Graduation Rate Climbs Past 97%

While statewide high school graduation rates fell just 0.1 percent shy of rising to 90 percent, Wauwatosa hit a new mark in the 2009-10 school year by graduating 97.2% of its students.

New data released by the state Department of Public Instruction show that Wauwatosa's "legacy" graduation rate – the number of graduates in a given year including those up to age 21 who have earned diplomas after leaving high school – rose 1.4 percent over 2008-09.

It was the first time since new state reporting standards were adopted in 2004 that Wauwatosa graduated more than 97 percent of its students qualifying under the legacy measure.

Under a measure of those who completed a regular diploma with their four-year high school class, the rate for Wauwatosa was 90.4 percent last year compared to a state average of 85.7 percent.

Comparing the two high schools, East High did slightly better, graduating 97.8 percent of its students under the legacy measure, while West's rate was 96.4 percent.

The big difference in reaching the new district high last year was East's 3.1 percent improvement over 2008-09, when it trailed West by more 2 percentage points with a 94.7 percent graduation rate. West reached 96.9 percent that year.

Before 2004, many school districts, including Wauwatosa, were able to report even higher graduation rates because they were not required to track completion rates for certain students such as those with learning disabilities.

State officials were jubilant over the continuing slow but steady rise in graduation rates across Wisconsin, which rose by one-half percent over last year and have grown by just more than 1 percent since 2004-05.

“Wisconsin has traditionally had one of the highest, if not the highest, graduation rates in the nation,” State Superintendent Tony Evers in a statement. “We should be proud of this accomplishment as we work to ensure every child is a graduate. But we all know that even one dropout is too many.”

Graduation rates in Wauwatosa and Wisconsin

School year

Wauwatosa legacy graduation rate

Wisconsin legacy graduation rate

2009-10

97.2%

89.9%

2008-09

95.8%

89.4%

2007-08

94.7%

89.0%

2006-07

95.1%

89.6%

2005-06

95.9%

89.3%

2004-05

96.3%

88.8%

Graduation rates at Wauwatosa East and West High Schools

School year

Wauwatosa East legacy graduation rate

Wauwatosa West legacy graduation rate

2009-10

97.8%

96.4%

2008-09

94.7%

96.9%

2007-08

97.5%

96.9%

2006-07

94.2%

96.3%

2005-06

97.9%

93.5%

2004-05

98.1%

94.8%