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Despite the disruptions caused by the global pandemic in the spring, more DPS students graduated from high school in four years in 2020 than the previous school year, according to data released today by the State Board of Education.
DPS graduation rate advances during “year unlike any other”
Despite the disruptions caused by the global pandemic in the spring, more DPS students graduated from high school in four years in 2020 than the previous school year, according to data released today by the State Board of Education.
83.5 percent of DPS students who entered ninth grade in 2016 graduated in four years or less, an 0.6 percentage point increase from the 2018-19 school year. The graduation rate for Black students saw a 3.9 percentage point increase to 85.6 percent, and students with disabilities saw a 1.2 percentage point gain to 68.6 percent. Graduation rates for white and Hispanic students declined slightly, by 1.9 and 3.0 percentage points respectively.
“It’s a cliché because it’s true: the last school year was one unlike any other,” said Dr. Pascal Mubenga, DPS Superintendent. “Many of our students were especially vulnerable to the changes in our community brought on by COVID-19. I’m proud of the work our teachers, social workers, and other support staff and administrators did to increase the graduation rate for most students.
“We have profoundly strengthened our academic support for remote learning and formed essential partnerships to provide more of a social safety net for our students. Between those accomplishments and a close review of our data, I’m confident in the improvements we will put in place to accelerate our graduation rate this year.”
After beating its Strategic Plan target for 2018-19 last year, DPS fell just shy of the target for 2019-20 by 0.9 percentage points. More than 95 percent of students graduated on time from City of Medicine Academy, Durham School of the Arts, New Tech High, J.D. Clement Early College High, and Middle College High at Durham Tech.