Regarding the specific HS mentioned at the start of the article (Springfield), the 4-year graduation rates by year are below. Grad rate increased from 36% to 94% over a 11 year period. Assessment scores (during period before new test introduced) and demographics had relatively minor changes during this period, so they would not explain this degree of graduation rate increase.
- 2011 – 36% graduated (36% dropped out, 19% in school, 6% non-grad completer, 3% GED)
- 2012 – 40% graduated
- 2013 – 45% graduated
- 2014 – 50% graduated
- 2015 – 63% graduated
- 2016 – 59% graduated
- 2017 – 77% graduated
- 2018 – 80% graduated
- 2019 – 86% graduated
- 2020 – 85% graduated
- 2021 – 91% graduated
- 2022 – 94% graduated (6% dropped out, 0% in school, 0% non-grad completer, 0% GED)
It’s unclear what were the primary reasons for the large and rapid increase increase in graduation rate at Springfield. I doubt that it can be explained by a single simple cause, such as grade inflation. I expect it involves both political and administrative pressure to improve graduation rate and taking steps to accomplish this from a variety of different fronts.
I doubt that it’s a coincidence that the graduation rates started to shoot up in the year that Warwick began as superintendent (2012). Warwick has stated beginning “graduation coaches, a ninth-grade transition course at every high school, expanded summer school, free classes at night and on-line credit recovery courses.” Warwick, ,the Springfield major, and numerous others have received a lot of praise about the increasing graduation rate. There are strong motivations to increase graduation rate as high as possible, and little motivation to keep the school’s graduation rate at 36%.
As I stated in the other thread, I attended a basic, public HS in NYS. It was basic in many ways, but one area that separated it from other HSs was having a graduation rate far above state averages – >90% throughout the date range listed above. NYS offers a variety of different HS diplomas including regents and local. The latter does not require passing standardized state regents exams. However, that was not what separated my HS from others in the state. The % passing regents also was fairly high, after they changed curriculum to teach to the test in math (most students failed prior to this change).
Instead I think the relatively high graduation rate had more to do with administration trying to graduate every student and taking various measures to pursue that goal. This includes things like identifying kids who were at risk of not graduating and putting them in a special program with smaller classes that had different focuses, such as placing extra emphasis on completing homework. Additional measures were added for certain particular students, including things like having a teacher aid follow students around to insure they attended classes. They also had vocational programs to support work plans/transitions for students who did not expect to pursue a college degree.
My personal experience were the few students who didn’t graduate in this environment often didn’t feel like they needed the degree and/or were following the path of other persons they knew.