Statewide high school graduation rates in New York are up slightly, but a lower percentage of students are ready for college and career.
Aspirational performance measures (APM) are designed to assess college and career readiness by designating the percentage of students who “earned a score of 75 or greater on their English Regents examination and an 80 or better on a mathematics Regents exam (note: this aspirational measure is referred to as the “ELA/Math APM”)”.
In the Lower Hudson Valley where I live, graduation rates are higher than the statewide average, with 84% of students graduating on time. Our local high school showed a slight upward trend in college and career readiness last year.
From the New York State Education June 11, 2012 press release:
“New York’s overall graduation rate has improved, but nearly a quarter of our students still don’t graduate after four years,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch. “And too many of those students who do graduate aren’t ready for college and careers.
“These numbers make clear that we need to continue to pursue aggressive reforms in our schools including a new, richer curriculum and implementation of the new teacher evaluation law in districts across the state.”
“Our students are competing globally,” Commissioner John B. King, Jr. said. “That competition demands that we keep improving our graduation rates. But it also demands that we close the achievement gap and make sure students who do graduate are ready for college and careers. Next school year, we’ll be implementing the Common Core standards, which will help more students achieve college and career readiness.
“But another key is keeping students engaged. Whatever that engagement takes – advanced math and science, Career and Technical Education programs, or a humanities focused courseload – we need to make sure all our students are on a path that prepares them for college and careers after they graduate from high school.”
In New York City, only 20.7% of students met the ELA/Math APM.
* Graduation rates measure the cohort of students who completed high school in four years. APMs are reported as a percentage of the cohort who “earned a score of 75 or greater on their English Regents examination and an 80 or better on a mathematics Regents exam (note: this aspirational measure is referred to as the “ELA/Math APM”)
Sources:
- Graduation Rate Data – June 11, 2012
- Graduation Rate Data – June 14, 2011
- Graduation Rate Data – March 9, 2010
Related: High school graduation goals do not include getting students ready for college