Graduation and Other Results: Students Who Began 9th Grade in 2000 and 2001

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Graduation and Other ResultsStudents Who Began
9th Grade in 2000 and 2001
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Graduation and Other Results

• Today were focusing on results for students who
  started 9th grade in 2000 after 5 years of high
  school and students who started 9th grade in 2001
  after 4 years of high school.
• We have a more complete picture than ever before
  because of the improved data system.

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Improved Data System

• Were showing these results statewide, as we did
  last year. Were also showing the results for
  each school and each district.
• You know weve been moving toward a more complete
  data system. As a result, were able to count
  more students.
• As we have explained before, it is not possible
  to compare these cohort results with the cohort
  results used in previous years. In those cohorts,
  we were not able to count all students.

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Who Are the Students Who Started 9th Grade in
2000 and 2001?

• They are the students who were in 4th grade in
  1995-6 and 1996-7 before New York raised
  standards.
• They were in 8th grade in spring 2000 and 2001
  right after the 4th and 8th grade English and
  Math tests based on higher standards were
  first given.
• Therefore, many entered high school without the
  benefit of a higher standards curriculum in
  elementary and middle school. They were
  unprepared to do high school work.

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Performance of 8th Graders in Math in spring 2000
and 2001 was poor. Many showed serious
problems. These are the students who had serious
academic problems in high-need districts. Note
that students in subsequent years improved
significantly.
Percentage of Students Scoring at Level 1
6
The percentage of 8th graders reaching all the
standards in Math was low in 2000 and 2001.These
are the students who had serious academic
problems in high-need districts. Note that many
students in subsequent years improved
significantly. But much remains to be done.
Percentage of Students Scoring at Levels 3 and 4
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Middle School English Many had serious problems
in 2000 and 2001. These are the students who had
serious academic problems in high-need districts.
Note that students in subsequent years improved
significantly.
Percentage of students scoring at Level 1
8
Middle School EnglishAlthough later students in
middle school had fewer serious academic problems
in English, they have not able to achieve higher
standards in English. This stands in direct
contrast to their performance in math.
The percentage of students scoring at Levels 3
and 4
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The Picture Overall

• The graduation rate for students starting 9th
  grade in 2000 was 71 after 5 years.
• The graduation rate for students starting 9th
  grade in 2001 was 64 after 4 years.
• The total number of general education graduates
  increased slightly last year. The total number of
  special education graduates decreased slightly.
• Students who started 9th grade in 200l appear to
  have passed Regents Exams at somewhat higher
  rates after 4 years than students who started 9th
  grade in 2000 after 5 years.
• More graduates are achieving higher standards and
  earning Regents Diplomas.

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The Number and Percent of Graduates in the 2000
and 2001 Cohorts Who Earned Each Diploma Type
Required passing 8 Regents Exams plus 20.5
credits Required passing 5 Regents Exams plus
22 credits Required passing 8 Regents Exams
plus 22 credits Note that more than 75 percent of
graduates in the 2001 Cohort earned diplomas
requiring that they pass at least five Regents
examinations with scores of 65 or higher.
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Graduation RateStudents Who Entered 9th Grade
in 2000 After 5 Years
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Students Who Entered 9th Grade in 2000 After Five
Years Over 71 percent of students in the 2000
cohort graduated by June 2005. 6 percent were
still enrolled.
210,159 Students
All Students in
Public Schools
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Cohort results of students starting 9th grade in
2000 as of June 30, 2005 after 5 years
Schools reported an additional 11,000 students in
this cohort after 5 years that were not included
in their totals after 4 years. This more complete
reporting means the 67 four-year graduation rate
we announced last year was probably a bit too
high.

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Only a small majority of students in New York
City and the Big 4 Cities had graduated after 5
years, but over 93 percent of students in Low
Need Districts did.
The Percentage of Students in the 2000 Cohort by
Outcomes as of June 30, 2005 after 5 years
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General-Education Students in the 2000 Cohort
graduated at a higher rate than all students
after 5 years, but NYC students were much less
likely than rest of State students to graduate.
The Percentage of General-Education Students in
the 2000 Cohort by Outcomes as of June 30, 2005
after 5 years
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Fewer than one-quarter of students with
disabilities in NYC graduated with a Regents or
local diploma after 5 years statewide almost 50
percent did. Many received an IEP diploma.
The Percentage of Students with Disabilities in
the 2000 Cohort by Outcomes as of June 30, 2005
after 5 years
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Statewide, fewer than half of English Language
Learners graduated after 5 years.
The Percentage of Limited English Proficient
Students in the 2000 Cohort by Outcomes as of
June 30, 2005 after 5 years
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Black and Hispanic students were less likely to
graduate than Whites and Asians after 5 years.
The Percentage of Students in the 2000 Cohort by
Outcomes as of June 30, 2005 after 5 years
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Males were less likely than females to graduate
and more likely to dropout after 5 years.
The Percentage of Students in the 2000 Cohort by
Outcomes as of June 30, 2005 after 5 years
20
Graduation RateStudents Who Entered 9th Grade
in 2001 After 4 Years
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The graduation rate of all students in urban high
need districts was low, generally ranging from 43
to 58 after 4 years. Many were still enrolled.
Percentage of Students who started 9th grade in
2001 by Outcomes as of June 30, 2005 after Four
Years
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Percentage of General-Education Students who
started 9th grade in 2001 by Outcomes as of June
30, 2005 after Four Years
General education students had a higher
graduation rate than all students after 4 years.
Many in NYC were still enrolled.
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The Percentage of Students with Disabilities who
started 9th grade in 2001 by Outcomes as of June
30, 2005 after 4 years
The 4year graduation rate for students with
disabilities was low. Many were still enrolled.
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The Percentage of ELL Students who started 9th
grade in 2001 by Outcomes as of June 30, 2005
after Four Years
Over 40 of English Language Learners were still
enrolled after 4 years.
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The Percentage of Students who started 9th grade
in 2001 in Each Racial/Ethnic Group by Outcomes
as of June 30, 2005 After Four Years
About 40 of Black and Hispanic students
graduated after 4 years, showing a wide gap with
white students.
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Graduation Rates for Minority Students

• The new data system provides statewide
  information weve not had before.
• Four-year graduation rates for minority students
  are unacceptably low. This is a long-standing
  problem that must be solved.
• New York Citys data, reported for many years,
  shows 4-year minority graduation rates have been
  low for over a decade.

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The Percentage of male and female students who
started 9th grade in 2001 by Outcomes as of June
30, 2005 after 4 years
The gap in the graduation rate between male and
female students after 4 years was significant.
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Why Did Almost 30 of Students Not Graduate in 5
Years?

• Students must pass their courses and earn course
  credits to graduate. Local schools determine
  passing grades in these courses.
• If students enter 9th grade with serious academic
  problems (scoring in Level 1 in Math and
  English), they fail their courses. They are held
  back and dont take other courses. They dont
  earn enough credits to graduate.
• The students who did not graduate were unprepared
  for high school work and failed their courses.

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What Are the CoursesThat Students Had to Pass?

• Students had to earn 22 course credits to
  graduate. (A credit equals a year-long course.)
  Students had to PASS
• 4 years of English
• 4 years of social studies (including U.S. History
  and Global History)
• 3 years of math
• 3 years of science
• Courses in the arts, health, and physical
  education.

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Regents Exam Results

• You might think that students did not graduate
  because they failed the Regents Exams.
• Thats not true.
• In fact, most dropouts did not take Regents Exams
  during their entire high school career.
• Why? Because these are end-of-course exams, given
  after a student has passed his or her course in,
  say, math or history or science.
• Therefore, students who fail the course or
  dont even take the course typically do not
  take the exam.
• Instead, students who dropped out were students
  who were unprepared for high school work and did
  not pass their courses.

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Regents Exam ResultsStudents who started 9th
grade in 2000 after 5 years
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The vast majority of general education students
who took Regents Exams passed them after 5 years.
But many still had not taken them.
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Students with disabilities are not required to
pass Regents Exams. Many had not taken them after
5 years. Performance in NYC was especially low.
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Most English Language Learners who took Regents
Exams passed them after 5 years. However, many
had not taken them.
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Students who dropped out after 5 years typically
had not taken Regents Exams. Many who took them
passed.
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Regents Exam ResultsStudents who started 9th
grade in 2001 after 4 years
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Students who started 9th grade in 200l appear to
have passed Regents Exams at somewhat higher
rates after 4 years than students who started 9th
grade in 2000 after 5 years.
38
The vast majority of general education students
who took Regents Exams passed them after 4 years.
But too many had not taken them because they were
unprepared for high school work and had failed
their courses.
39
Students with disabilities are not required to
pass Regents Exams. Many had not taken them after
4 years. Performance in NYC was especially low.
40
Most English Language Learners who took Regents
Exams passed them after 4 years. However, many
had not taken them.
41
Students who dropped out after 4 years typically
had not taken Regents Exams. Many who took them
passed.
42
The annual number of high school graduates has
increased over time. The total number of general
education graduates increased slightly last year.
The total number of special education graduates
decreased slightly.
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More general education graduates are reaching
higher standards. More are earning Regents
Diplomas. The increase last year was especially
large, because for the first time, students could
earn a Regents Diploma passing 5 Regents Exams
and an Advanced Regents Diploma with 8 Regents
Exams.
General-Education Students Total Number of
Diplomas Awarded and Number of Regents Diplomas
Awarded 1996- 97 to 2004-05 School Years
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More graduates with disabilities are reaching
higher standards. More are earning Regents
Diplomas. The increase last year was especially
large, because for the first time, students could
earn a Regents Diploma passing 5 Regents Exams
and an Advanced Regents Diploma with 8 Regents
Exams.
Students with Disabilities Total Number of
Diplomas Awarded and Number of Regents Diplomas
Awarded 1996-97 to 2004-05 School Years
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More of the Picture Progress, But Many Problems

• As weve announced before, student achievement in
  elementary and middle school is up over the past
  6 years.
• The Education Trust says that based on the latest
  NAEP 4th grade tests, New York is 3rd in reading
  growth for African-American students and 2nd in
  reading growth for Latino students from 1998
  (when standards were raised and the new tests
  began) to 2005.
• New Yorks own tests also show progress in
  elementary and middle school.

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New Yorks own 4th grade tests show progress for
Black and Hispanic Students.Since 1999, when the
first 4th grade tests were given, the percentage
of Black and Hispanic students meeting all the
standards has doubled.
Percentage of Students Scoring at Levels 3 and 4
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In Middle School English, fewer students have
serious academic problems now than in 2000 and
2001. Fewer Black and Hispanic students
especially show serious academic problems,
scoring at Level 1.
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BUT ---

• Progress to date is not enough.
• We need to work with great urgency to close the
  achievement gap faster in elementary and middle
  school.
• Even more urgently, we must close the achievement
  gap in high school, where it has not improved yet.

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Closing the Achievement Gap

• Summit on New York Education in November drew 650
  leaders from pre-K-12, higher education,
  libraries, museums, PBS, business, community
  groups, others.
• Now the Regents, with the cooperation of these
  leaders, are working on urgent new actions to
  close the gap.

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What Can Be Done

• Set graduation targets. Schools statewide should
  set targets. The Regents could direct the 127
  high schools with lowest results (below 70
  graduation) to set targets for graduation and
  attendance and describe what they will do to meet
  them.
• Hold local school boards accountable for meeting
  them. Reports on performance of the 127 schools
  may lead the Regents to take more action or
  define new policy.

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What Can Be Done

• Check teacher qualifications and order changes
  where necessary. By a date certain, direct that
  each of the 127 schools will have all teachers
  certified in the subjects they are teaching, with
  particular attention to the subjects required for
  graduation. Monitor to ensure compliance.

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What Can Be Done

• Strengthen the reforms of the 127 high schools
  with lowest achievement. Many are adopting
  catch-up curriculum, intervening to make a
  smoother transition from middle school,
  extending literacy instruction, tutoring, and
  other intervention strategies. We are
  intensifying SEDs work with them and monitoring
  of results.

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What Can Be Done

• Ensure safety. The Commissioner would review
  safety plans for the 127 schools and the data
  about incidents, including suspensions. Where
  necessary, the Commissioner would require
  immediate corrective action and evidence of
  follow through.

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What Can Be Done Students with Disabilities

• Set targets for improved outcomes, and increase
  public awareness of results in order to leverage
  change.
• Refocus monitoring to hold more schools
  accountable for improving instructional practice.
• Focus technical assistance networks to improve
  student performance.
• Increase the supply of qualified special
  education teachers and other staff.
• Expand the availability of high quality in-state
  special education options for students with the
  most severe disabilities.

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What Can Be Done English Language Learners

• Hold schools and districts accountable for
  meeting improvement targets in English language
  acquisition. Raise the level of improvement
  required over time.
• Increase monitoring to ensure that students are
  receiving all required time and services in
  English and native language instruction. Report
  results (expected this fall). The Regents will
  determine consequences for noncompliance.
• Improve the quality of bilingual and English as a
  Second Language teachers through new incentives
  and expanding professional development.
• Increase outreach with the New York City
  Department of Education to provide better
  information to parents on English as a second
  language and bilingual programs that can improve
  their own levels of reading, writing, and
  speaking English.

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The Picture Overall

• The graduation rate for students starting 9th
  grade in 2000 was 71 after 5 years.
• The graduation rate for students starting 9th
  grade in 2001 was 64 after 4 years.
• The total number of general education graduates
  increased slightly last year. The total number of
  special education graduates decreased slightly.
• Students who started 9th grade in 200l appear to
  have passed Regents Exams at somewhat higher
  rates after 4 years than students who started 9th
  grade in 2000 after 5 years.
• More graduates are achieving higher standards and
  earning Regents Diplomas.