Mar
Let's Follow One DISD Class from 8th Grade to Graduation
Filed Under (Society) by Jean Valjean on 09-03-2009
So, what if we could follow one class, and see how many students of each ethnicity were enrolled in DISD from, say, 8th grade until 12th grade, and even graduation? Wouldn’t that tell us much? No percentages. Straight, hard numbers. Direct from the TEA Standard Reports.
Turns out, we can.
In this next step of our journey, we will follow the class of 2007, from its Eight Grade (in 2002-2003), all the way until 2007, and see how many actually made the walk across the stage. The number may surprise you, and maybe even sadden you a bit. Come with me after the jump for 7 fascinating graphs that tell us plenty about the Dallas ISD Class of 2007.
DISD African American Enrollment 2003-2007
Just from a glance, we can see that DISD had 4155 African Americans enrolled in the 8th grade in the 2002-2003 school year. By 2007, only 2233 of those graduated. That’s a graduation rate of only 54% of all the 8th graders DISD started with. Also, if I’m reading my numbers right, almost four hundred African American students that were Seniors in 2007 but did not graduate with their class. Both of these discrepancies is something that we will see repeated across all ethnicities in DISD, as we see more below.
DISD Hispanic Enrollment 2003-2007
The numbers for Hispanic students in DISD are even more dramatic. We see that there were 6144 Hispanic students enrolled in the 8th grade in DISD in 2002-2003, but only 3037 ended up graduating in 2007. That’s a graduation rate of only 49% of all the Hispanic 8th graders DISD started with.
DISD Native American Enrollment 2003-2007
Two things strike me about the DISD Native American Enrollment. First, it’s the small amount of Native Americans enrolled in DISD. It never gets above the mid-double digits. Second, according to the TEA’s own figured, DISD graduated two MORE Native American students than were actually enrolled as seniors in 2007. The graduation rate for Native Americans in DISD was 63%.
DISD Asian/Pacific Islander Enrollment 2003-2007
The number of Asian and Pacific Islanders in DISD is also somewhat lower than I would have expected. However, they more than make up for that in the graduation rate. 62% of Asian and Pacific Islanders that were enrolled in DISD in the 8th grade ended up graduating in 2007.
DISD White Enrollment 2003-2007
The number of white students enrolled in DISD was also lower than I’d thought, never getting past triple digits. Out of 781 enrolled in the 8th grade in 2002-2003, 510 graduated in 2007. That’s a graduation rate of 65%, the highest in DISD.
DISD Compared Enrollment 2003-2007
This is a comparison of the enrollment by Ethnicity over time in DISD. That white line around the 1000 mark should have been yellow. The reponsible parties have been sacked.
DISD Combined Enrollment 2003-2007
Finally we have the combined enrollment in DISD through time. Even though they’re hard to see, I assure you that Native American and Asian/Pacific Islanders are included in that shoe-looking graph. In 2002-2003 DISD had 11,223 students enrolled in the 8th grade. By 2007, only 5,869 graduated. The overall graduation rate for DISD students enrolled in the 8th grade in 2002-2003 was 52%.
____________________Written by Jean Valjean
Is it possible to get the numbers of students transferring in and out, versus dropping out? I’m not sure anyone in the TEA would have looked quite that closely at the numbers.
Oh, and thanks for sacking the guy that missed the coloring on that one graph. You just can’t find good help anymore.
My question is what, if anything, is DISD doing about it? Do they have any kind of programs for the kids that would aid in retention, or are they as apathetic as they look on paper?
I would love to say, “Kids these days”, or even “**** politicians”, but let’s call it as it is: Parents these days…
You can finish that with just about anything, as long as it’s negative.
But, since we’re talking about the price of grapes in Rome, have you seen this story?
http://cbs11tv.com/local/Plano.Walmart.kidnapping.2.953482.html
One thing that kills me is that, despite that it has now been outed as a prank, NOBODY even tried to stop the “kidnapping” as it happened. People just went right along their merry way without looking twice.
I give kudos to the people who actually troubled to report the incident to Wal-Mart security, and the local police.
Jean, It is good to see your work. It is very similar to some I have done tracking students on the http://www.studentmotivation.org web site. Your 52% graduation rate based on the 8th grade number was generous. As I understand it the national standard will be the 9th grade enrollment and that graduation rate, due to the “9th grade bubble,” is up to 43.5% for the Class of 2009, the highest graduation rate in 4 years!
The good news is that the 9th grade bubble has decreased significantly in Dallas over the past 3 years. I project that using the 9th grade as the base that our graduation rate will continue to rise and may even pass 50% within the next few years.
I strongly believe, due to the constant arguments over dropout rate, that a full 12+year enrollment by grade spreadsheet should be posted in an easy to find location on every Texas school district and school web site so that the games played with dropout rates can stop. The single digit dropout rate claims need to stop.
Regarding work to lower our dropout rates here in Dallas, I strongly recommend you look at our School Archive Project at http://www.studentmotivation.org. It is now 5 years old and has led to the largest 12th grade class in the history of both Pinkston and Sunset for the 2008-2009 school year. It has now spread to 4 other schools and is being considered by more. For $2 per 8th grade student it is a very good investment. It is a simple 10-year time-capsule and 10-year class reunion plan with planned presentations at the time of the reunion by alumni speaking with then current students. They will talk about their recommendations for success. They are warned to be ready for questions such as “What would you do differently if you were 13 again?”