North Carolina’s innovative schools continue to demonstrate strong results by ensuring that students stay in school and on track to graduation.
The latest dropout data released today by the State Board of Education show that schools that partner with North Carolina New Schools in 2011-2012 lost comparatively few students. More than a third of the 99 schools which NC New Schools helped support last year had no dropouts from any grade, and eight of every 10 of the schools had no dropouts from 9th grade, when students are most susceptible to quitting school.
Key findings in the state data for 2011-2012 NC New Schools partner schools include:
· 42 NC New Schools partner schools lost no students to dropping out (see list at end of release)
· 77 of the partner schools lost no more than two students as dropouts
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79 partner schools lost no students from 9th grade
· The 99 partner schools had a combined dropout rate of 1.4 percent, compared to 3.01 percent for the state as a whole.
- The 74 partner early colleges had a combined dropout rate of only 0.5 percent.
The annual dropout rate measures the percentage of students who quit school in a given year. Student attrition is also measured by the graduation rate, which tracks students from 9th grade to graduation four years later. While that “cohort graduation rate” is considered a more comprehensive indicator of schools’ performance in keeping students in school to completion, the annual dropout rate does provide an index for comparison among schools and over time.
“Students drop out for many reasons, some of which are very challenging for schools to address,” said Tony Habit, president of NC New Schools. “But these numbers show that schools that really engage students with relevant instruction and supportive relationships are finding that those those to be the most effective keys to dropout prevention.
“Students who want to be in school and see a reason for being there don’t quit,” Dr. Habit said. “They stay, and they graduate.”
Dropout rates, 2006 to 2012
All NC high schools and NC New Schools’ partner schools
The state’s 74 early college high schools in 2011-12, representing most of the 99 innovative high schools, had a combined dropout rate of just 0.5 percent, with 39 of the schools losing no students as dropouts. With a combined enrollment of 13,725 students, early colleges last year lost just 74 students to dropping out.
An ongoing experimental study of North Carolina’s early colleges also shows that students in the innovative schools are more likely to remain in school. For example, 94 percent of early college 11th graders were still enrolled in school, compared to 83 percent of a control group of students who had applied to an early college but were randomly excluded from the schools.
Two dozen STEM-focused schools, including six schools that were developed in 2007 as turnaround strategies for low-performing high schools, also showed strong results. Together, the 24 schools had a combined dropout rate of 2.4 percent. Among those schools are 10 larger traditional schools that joined the NC New Schools network during the 2011-2012 year.
Thirteen innovative schools, most of which had been supported by NC New Schools for at least five years, had a combined dropout rate of 0.8 percent. Three of those 13 schools – City of Medicine High School in Durham, Howard Health and Life Sciences High School in Cumberland County and Anson New Tech High School – had no dropouts.
North Carolina New Schools is a statewide public-private partnership that accelerates systemic, sustainable innovation in North Carolina secondary schools. Its goal is to ensure every student graduates ready for college, careers and life. NC New Schools partners with school districts, businesses and higher education to link innovation in education to the emerging economy.
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NC New Schools partner schools with no dropouts in 2011-2012
|
School Name |
District |
|
Anson County Early College High School |
Anson County Schools |
|
Anson New Tech High School |
Anson County Schools |
|
Brunswick County Early College High School |
Brunswick County Schools |
|
Cabarrus/Kannapolis Early College High School |
Cabarrus County Schools |
|
Catawba Valley Early College High School (Challenger) |
Catawba County Schools |
|
Tri-County Early College High School |
Cherokee County Schools |
|
Craven Early College High School |
Craven County Schools |
|
Early College EAST High School |
Craven County Schools |
|
Cumberland International Early College High School |
Cumberland County Schools |
|
Cross Creek Early College High School |
Cumberland County Schools |
|
Howard Health and Life Sciences High School |
Cumberland County Schools |
|
J.P. Knapp Early College High School |
Currituck County Schools |
|
Duplin Early College High School |
Duplin County Schools |
|
Josephine Dobbs Clement Early College High School |
Durham Public Schools |
|
City of Medicine Academy |
Durham Public Schools |
|
Edgecombe Early College High School |
Edgecombe County schools |
|
Early College of Forsyth |
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools |
|
Franklin County Early College High School |
Franklin County Schools |
|
Granville Early College High School |
Granville County Schools |
|
Greene Early College High School |
Greene County Schools |
|
Early-Middle College at Bennett |
Guilford County Schools |
|
Middle College at GTCC – Greensboro |
Guilford County Schools |
|
Middle College at NC A&T State University |
Guilford County Schools |
|
Middle College at UNCG |
Guilford County Schools |
|
Roanoke Valley Early College |
Weldon City Schools |
|
Hertford County Early College High School |
Hertford County Schools |
|
SandHoke Early College High School |
Hoke County Schools |
|
Jackson County Early College High School |
Jackson County Schools |
|
Madison Early College |
Madison County Schools |
|
Mayland Early College High School |
Avery, Mitchell and Yancey Schools |
|
Isaac Bear Early College High School |
New Hanover County Schools |
|
Wilmington Early College High School |
New Hanover County Schools |
|
Pender Early College High School |
Pender County Schools |
|
Randolph Early College High School |
Randolph County Schools |
|
Robeson Early College High School |
Robeson County Schools |
|
Rutherford Early College High School |
Rutherford County Schools |
|
Surry Early College High School of Design |
Surry County Schools |
|
Union County Early College |
Union County Schools |
|
Wake NC State University STEM Early College High School |
Wake County Schools |
|
Wake Early College of Health Sciences |
Wake County Schools |
|
Wayne Early / Middle College High School |
Wayne County Schools |
|
Wilson Early College Academy |
Wilson County Schools |