Dropout Data Reveal
Mixed Results for County Students

SAN JOSE, CA— The inaugural release of a new system for dropout data for California public school students released on Wednesday showed mixed results for Santa Clara County districts, according to an analysis of the information by the Standards and Assessment Department of the Santa Clara County Office of Education.

The Santa Clara County grade 9 – 12 four year dropout rate for the 2006-2007 school year was 20.2 percent--lower than the rate of 24.2 percent for California as a whole, according to information released by the California Department of Education.

However, the dropout rate for Hispanic students in the county was considerably higher than for their statewide counterparts—37.1 percent compared to 30.3 percent. Likewise, the results showed a much higher dropout rate among Santa Clara County students who are categorized as socioeconomically disadvantaged, as compared to the same subgroup statewide.

The four-year dropout rates for the county’s unified and high school districts ranged from a low of just under 2 percent to a high of almost 28 percent.

The data show educators and administrators "have much work to do in the area of dropout prevention, especially for Hispanic students and students of poverty," said Charles Weis, county superintendent. "The SCCOE is prepared to evaluate the alternative education programs operated by SCCOE in order to determine their effects on students who are at high-risk of dropping out, and to do whatever we can to assist our school districts in evaluating their dropout prevention programs.

"Our goal is to bring best practices for preventing dropouts to all of our schools in Santa Clara County."

The data released by the CDE are the first to use Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) numbers. Each student in California public schools now is assigned an identifier number, with the goal of achieving more accurate tracking as the student progresses through the schools. Districts will have one more opportunity to make data corrections before the report is finalized.

To view the entire SCCOE analysis, visit www.sccoe.org.

Date last updated: July 16, 2008