More California students graduated from high school last year than the year before, but too many students are still dropping out, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said in Fresno.
Statewide, the adjusted four-year derived dropout rate for the 2007-08 school year is 20.1 percent, down from 21.1 percent the year before.
"I am heartened that the graduation rate is up slightly, but California's dropout rate is still unacceptably high," said O'Connell. "If we look deeper into the data, we see alarmingly high dropout rates among African American and Hispanic students. There are long-term economic repercussions from not graduating for the student, for their communities, and for our statewide economy. These data provide even more evidence of the challenge and the moral imperative of closing the achievement gap as well as increasing graduation rates among all students."
Merced County had an 18.8 percent average dropout rate for the 2007-08 school year. Delhi Unified had the highest rate in the county at 23.3 percent. Los Banos had the lowest at 7.5 percent.
Merced Union High School District, the largest high school district in the county, had an adjusted four-year derived dropout rate for the 2007-08 school year of 15.3 percent.
The Merced County Office of Education had 300 of the 1,305 students in its programs drop out in the 2007-2008 school year. MCOE provides education to students with severe disabilities and those who have been removed from traditional high schools.
Other county figures:
Dos Palos: 9.4 percent
Gustine: 11.9 percent
Hilmar: 8.4 percent
Le Grand Union High: 7.6 percent
This is the initial release of graduation and dropout data. Districts have until July 3 to make corrections.
The Fresno Bee contributed to this report.
Reporter Danielle Gaines can be reached at (209) 385-2407 or dgaines@mercedsun-star.com.
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