Nevada High Schools on Track to Post Highest Graduation Rates on Record
Preliminary four-year graduation rate data posted today on NevadaReportCard.com indicates Nevada high schools are on track to set a graduation rate record of 80.55 percent for the Class of 2017 – an increase of seven percentage points.
“While these graduation rates won’t be official until December, this is great news and the strongest indicator yet that Nevada is the fastest improving state in the nation,” said Steve Canavero, Ph.D., Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Completing high school and ensuring our students are on college and career pathways are essential for Nevada’s future economic viability.”
Nevada’s two largest school districts both outpaced the rest of the state with healthy gains:
• The Clark County School District graduated 82.71 percent – an increase of 7.83 points
“The impressive increases we have seen in our graduation rate in the past few years are the direct result of the hard work of every employee, student, and family member who has worked so hard to increase student achievement,” said Pat Skorkowsky, CCSD Superintendent. “Our shared focus on individualized support for every student, along with the support of many community organizations, has made a difference in the lives of thousands of students.”
• The Washoe County School District graduated 83.79 percent – an increase of 7.15 points
“I am so proud of our students, families, and especially District staff members,” said Traci Davis, WCSD Superintendent. “This is a huge accomplishment that was achieved through hard work, dedication, and a commitment to help our students reach their academic goals. We have directed consistent, effective supports and resources to our students based upon their needs, and as a result our achievement gaps are narrowing dramatically. The hard work is far from over. We have set a District-wide goal of a 90 percent graduation rate by the year 2020, and we are continuing to work toward that worthy goal.”
Six other districts in the state showed double-digit gains from 2016:
• The Pershing County School District graduated 100 percent – an increase of 16.67 points
• The Churchill County School District graduated 74.35 percent – an increase of 14.65 points
• The Mineral County School District graduated 87.5 percent – an increase of 13.31 points
• The Humboldt County School District graduated 88.7 percent – an increase of 12.42 points
• The Lander County School District graduated 92.42 percent – an increase of 12.16 points
• The Lincoln County School District graduated 93.24 percent – an increase of 10.89 points
For the last three years, NDE has announced the statewide and the districts’ preliminary graduation rates around the middle of October. Official graduation rates will be calculated by the Department, after a thorough review of the student level data that is validated and confirmed by the school districts. Official figures will be released in December, along with a school-by-school breakdown and an analysis of demographic subgroups.
This is the seventh year Nevada has calculated the graduation rate using the adjusted cohort rate, which is required by the U.S. Department of Education. The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate defines the cohort based on when a student enters the ninth grade; it is calculated using the number of students who graduate within four years and includes adjustments for transfer out students. While all states are calculating the graduation rate using the same formula, each state still sets its own requirements for students to earn a diploma.
