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Tuesday, May 19, 2009 | 4:10 p.m.
Sun coverage
Clark County’s high school graduation rate was 65.1 percent in 2008, a gain of just over 2 percentage points, according to the latest data obtained Tuesday by the Sun.
The district’s graduation rate in 2007 was 63 percent, where it’s hovered for several years.
At a recent district presentation on efforts to improve the graduation rate and reduce the dropout rate, School Board member Larry Mason expressed frustration that little ground has been gain in recent years. Mason, a 14-year veteran of the School Board, said there are programs and initiatives that are making a difference for some students, but he wanted to see more improvement on a broader scale.
Indeed, the breakdown of the latest graduation rates show a wide range of results for individual comprehensive high schools, from 41.3 percent at Western to 89.5 percent at Coronado. The district’s magnet high schools, including Las Vegas Academy, Southeast Career and Technical Academy and Advanced Technology Academy all topped 90 percent.
And Nevada’s overall graduation rate can vary widely, depending on the formula used. Outside researchers have put the Silver State’s graduation rate as low as 45 percent in recent years, while the Nevada Education Department put it at 67.4 percent for the class of 2007.
In 2005 the nation’s governors agreed to adopt a uniform formula for calculating graduation rates. The class of 2011 – including in Clark County -- will be the first measured using the new standard.
The new formula could be a challenge for the nation’s fifth-largest school district, because it will be penalized for students who leave town without providing forwarding information indicating they are still in school.
In November 2007, the district went looking for the 3,791 high school students who had been enrolled the prior spring but did not return in the fall. The district was able to locate only 1,020.
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This is GREAT news! I think this (our poor education system) is the most important issue facing our county/state. Hopefully the graduation rate increase isn't due to more relaxed requirements. Clark County is FAR from where it should be, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.
Statistics lie and liars use statistics to lie; the CCSD is directed by shalitans, smooth talkers and flim flam artists who continually try to fool the public into thinking it is doing a good job. There is so much baloney about testing and graduation rates coming out of the district that it is like an overlowing outhouse...
Believe very little of what you read and hear coming from the honchos at Fort Fumble on Flamingo Ave and The Palace of the Kings on Sahara. Test can be manipulated and cheated by administrators to fit their need. Statistics can be phonied up to suit any particular situation. The fact remains that this board of trustees are composed of incompetents who know abosolutely nothing about education and that is the biggest problem. They are being led by the nose by Walt Rulffes the greatest illusionist and magician since Houdini himself.
Beware the con artists who tell you how great the district is doing when in reality they are creating a phony education for your children. The big question to ask is: Despite the supposed increase in graduates in the CCSD how many are actually compitent enough to pass an externally supervised and graded compitency exam in the required state courses?
A good reporter would have asked what the "graduation rate" is using the approved national standard, that will be in effect for the class 2011!
And how many CCSD employees hunt down lost students, after they are gone? Maybe they should focus on the kids that are being left behind, then run over by the bus, while still in the SYSTEM!
Break up this colossal failure, 5th largest, so called school district!
amazing. Economy down. Illegal immigration down. Many illegals leaving country with families due to lack of work. High School drop out rate climbs miniscule amount. I am sure they cannot be related.
CCSD is "cookin' the books" when it comes to providing stats regarding graduation rates. The actual number is way below -- 50%.