Gains made in several demographic areas

Though the Albert Lea school district saw increases in graduation rates over several areas in 2019, the overall four-year graduation rate decreased 2.5 percentage points from the previous year to 75.4%, according to numbers released Thursday from the Minnesota Department of Education.

Albert Lea High School saw a 2% increase from 86.22% in 2018 to 88.59% in 2019.

The most significant increases in demographic areas at the high school were with English language learners, whose rate increased 29% from 50% in 2018 to 78.57% in 2019, according to the results.

Asian students at the high school had a 14.1% increase over the prior year, improving to 83.3%, and the rate for hispanic students increased 2.4% to 81.82%. The rate for white students also increased, from 89.47% to 92.14%.

“We celebrate these significant increases, as it shows the work and commitment that staff, students and parents have to ensure all students are learning,” the district said in a press release.

Albert Lea High School also saw increases in the four-year graduation rate for students receiving special education services, improving from 58.06% to 62.86%. The seven-year rate is 80%.

The Albert Lea Area Learning Center’s four-year graduation rate decreased from 52.7% in 2018 to 38% in 2019. The seven-year graduation rate for ALC students is 49%.

The press release stated it is important to review the seven-year rate as well, as it values that all students can continue their education past the four years until the age of 21.

Mary Jo Dorman, executive director of teaching and learning for the district, emphasized the value of a high school diploma and said the district needs to support all students to reach this endeavor.

She said there were a couple other changes in the graduation calculations for districts this year, so staff will need to dig deeper into the data in the next few weeks.

One of those changes is that students who dropout of high school after spending less than half an academic year there will be counted as a dropout at the high school where they spent the most time during their high school years.

She said the other work that still needs to be done is for students who do not graduate and leave school but do not enroll in another Minnesota school district. This causes them to be identified as unknown, which also affects the graduation rate.

“As a district, it is important if it can be identified where they are, i.e. moving to another state or country, etc., so the unknown status is resolved,” the release said.

Dorman said the district four-year graduation rate goal is 90%.

According to the Department of Education, the statewide four-year graduation rate is 83.7%, which is a historic high.

While graduation rates increased statewide for most racial and ethnic student groups, the graduation rate for American Indian students remained stagnant, according to the results.

Fewer students are choosing to drop out of high school across the state, as the overall statewide high school drop out rate decreased from 4.6% to 4.4%.

“I am heartened to see a measurable decrease in the number of students who dropped out of high school,” said Minnesota Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker in a press release. “That suggests that students are hearing the message that the adults in their lives are here to support them, and if they choose to persist in their education that we will persist right alongside them. I know that, with the help of my fellow commissioners as well as educators and families all across the state, Minnesota can be the first state in the nation to effectively end high school dropouts.”