County graduation rate is bumped up
The new figures move the district close to the state average.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 7:50 p.m.
The state this week released a revised graduation rate for Alachua County public schools that put the district closer to the state average - after questions were raised about how the initial rate had been calculated.
The district's graduation rate increased from 66.5 percent, as had been reported in December, to 76.1 percent. The new rate keeps the district just shy of the state's graduation rate of 76.3 percent.
In December, Sandy Hollinger, deputy superintendent for the district, initially questioned the accuracy of the report and estimated the data could be off by 250 students. She also pointed to a new computer database that made it challenging to report information to the state.
A coding error at the district level accounted for between 75 and 100 students in the International Baccalaureate program at Eastside High School not showing up in graduation counts. It meant a bump of nearly 18 percentage points for Eastside, going from a graduation rate of 63.2 percent to 80.9 percent.
"When we got the numbers in December, we knew they were not right, so we printed out all of the names of the students and had principals come in to get their lists to find out what happened," Hollinger said.
In September, the Florida State Board of Education approved the use of the National Governors Association Compact rate, which includes standard and special diplomas but excludes GED diplomas.
The state selected the new calculation because the U.S. Department of Education is adopting the uniform calculation by the 2010-11 school year.
Other schools with significant increases after the revision include Gainesville High School, which went from 68.6 percent to 79.2 percent; Buchholz at 84.7 percent, up from 77.8 percent; and Santa Fe High at 82.3 percent, up from 79 percent.
Graduation rates elsewhere in the district: Hawthorne High at 61.1 percent, up from 53.4 percent; Newberry High, with the criminal justice academy, at 79 percent, up from 76.4 percent; Loften High, home to six vocational academies, at 42.6 percent, up from 41.8 percent.
The district's overall rate also includes high school students in other programs.
Among the neighboring counties with higher graduation rates than Alachua were Columbia at 82 percent; Gilchrist at 94.7 percent; and Union at 80.7 percent.
Those with lower rates included Marion at 73.7 percent; Bradford at 72.1 percent; Clay at 75.3 percent; Dixie at 74 percent; Levy at 67 percent; Putnam at 70.4 percent; and Suwannee at 61.7 percent.
Once Alachua County principals verified the numbers and made corrections, a call went out to the Florida Department of Education to rectify the discrepancies.
"We told them that it was important for the community to have the accurate data," Hollinger said. "I've been waiting on this, but I wanted it verified through the state."
Deborah Higgins, information specialist with the Florida Department of Education, said there is a period of time for adjustment, when the state DOE works with districts to make the necessary changes. Districts are provided a schedule for the review process in the spring.
She added that although it is standard practice not to allow changes outside this adjustment period, the DOE can make considerations depending on the circumstances.
Hollinger said that while the graduation rate is better than first reported, "it does not make our commitment any less - we still have work to do."
She added that every high school knows which students are not on track for graduation and has plans in place to help address their needs.
Buchholz Principal Vicente Perez said that while the school's new rate is better, he's still concerned about the number of students at risk of not graduating.
"That is the group that really shocked us," Perez said. "If that group does not improve, it could lower our school grade."
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