Guest Commentary: Grad Stats Can Be Viewed Two Ways

By ANGLICA RUIZ

Over the past week, I’ve heard the concern of parents, teachers and students about the drop-out issue. I am committed to keeping our students in school and promoting education as a way of life for our youth.

Providing options to students for achieving their goal of a high- school diploma is essential, ensuring that they have a safe learning environment, and making certain that the students possess the tools they need to succeed from Kindergarten to 12th grade are paramount for me as a member of the Board of Education.

Just like the rest of our community members, many of whom have called me or sent me an e-mail, I was extremely alarmed by the reported 68 percent drop-out rate at Capital High School.

I feel that it is my responsibility to educate myself about such issues, and in turn share what I’ve learned with our community. With regard to this astounding drop-out rate, I’ve discovered the following:

There are two methods by which the drop-out rate can be calculated. These two methods identify the cohort rate, and the event rate.

The cohort rate is calculated by taking the number of students who began as freshman at Capital High School and then comparing how many of those students actually walk across the stage at the same school four years later.

Secondly, there is a comparison that can be drawn from the number of seniors who began their studies at Capital in the fall of the 2006/2007 school year as compared to the actual number who walked across the stage at graduation; this is the event rate.

So, with this in mind, the event rate for Capital High School graduation this year was very comparable to what it was last year: 95 percent. (Please note that this ratio is unofficial as additional information is continuing to be collected).

Yes, the Capital class of 2007 was one of the smallest at the school for some time (as I recall the first graduating class in 1989 was quite modest). The number reflects a number of factors that were not present back in the late 1980s.

With regards to the cohort graduation rate at Capital, it is my understanding that this data is still being pulled together by Santa Fe Public Schools administration.

Some of the factors that affect the cohort rate are the number of students who are reclassified (i.e. not enough credits to be a senior, but students who are still in school); students who transfer to the SER Academy or to Santa Fe High School; and students who have moved away.

Because there are many factors in establishing the cohort rate, it would be wise not to jump to too many conclusions. What is a reality and of great concern, is the fact that too many of our students drop out of high school. This is true both for Capital and Santa Fe high schools.

The challenge to me, as an elected official and that I pose to the administration, is how to decrease the drop-out rate.

I look forward to working with the administration and the Board of Education as well as other elected officials and community members to address this issue.

With this in mind, I have called for an emergency study session to address this issue, inform the community, and hear the concerns of the public about this issue.

City and county governing bodies have been invited as well as local state delegation. This study session is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12 at 610 Alta Vista St.

Angelica Ruiz represents District 4 on the Santa Fe Public Schools Board.

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