Fillmore Unified School District

On December 7, 2010 State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell released drop out and graduation rates from the 2008-2009 school year. These are the most recent numbers available. Normally this data is available in the spring of each year but according to the news release school districts were given an extension on their reporting deadline due to “operational challenges” of the new CALPADS system.

According to the news release posted on the website of the California Department of Education (CDE) statewide graduation rates for 2008-2009 went up 1.6% to 70.1%. And the “adjusted four-year derived drop out rate” went up as well, from 18.9% to 21.7%. In examining subgroups the statewide graduation rate for Hispanic students is 59% with a drop out rate of 26.9% for that same subgroup. O’Connell commented, “I am glad to see the graduation rate inch up, but remain deeply concerned that the drop out rate is also increasing slightly.”

O’Connell also used the news release to make recommendations to the incoming Governor to “restore $6.8 million in federal funding set aside for CALPADS that was vetoed in October by Governor Schwarzenegger.” O’Connell explains that for three years the State has utilized “a data system that allows us to track students more accurately and have honest conversations about how to improve graduation rates and reduce drop outs among all subgroups of students.” He commented that this is the first year in which the State collected data through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS). And while the State has been calculating data on graduation and drop out rates for three years using “student level enrollment and exit data [systems]” this new “longitudinal” system will allow the State “to calculate the most accurate graduation and drop out rates possible.” Through this system beginning in June 2005 each student was assigned a “non personally identifiable code” called a Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) that will follow the student through to twelfth grade. The goal of using SSID along with the CALPADS is to “increase accountability for districts to find students who stop coming to school.” SSID allows districts to correctly identify students who drop out, as it will tell a district if a student thought to have dropped out enrolls in another school, or if a student thought to have transferred fails to enroll in another school. O’Connell explains that “unless funding is restored, the millions of dollars already invested in CALPADS will have been wasted, and our state will be at ground zero in collecting student-level data, placing us last among the states in measuring student progress over time.” Districts are assigned the duty of collecting and reporting this information to the CDE. O’Connell also urges that our State provide “$32 million- just $5 per student- to support the workload associated with collecting, maintaining and submitting student-level data.”

CALPADS Explained: According to the CDE website “CALPADS… will be the foundation of California’s K-12 education data system, enabling the migration from the current numerous aggregate data collections to a flexible system based on quality student-level …data.” By passing Senate Bill (SB) 1453 in 2002 our State created this program for tracking student data. According to Ed Source, an online source for information on California’s education issues, CALPADS “is a database for the K-12 education system that will monitor students academic progress by housing scores from multiple state tests for every pupil over time…” and will completely change the way California collects data on students. This system is also aimed at providing more accurate graduation and drop out rates. After passing SB 1453 the State entered into a three-year contract with IBM to “develop the infrastructure and user interface for the [system].” The system will be fully implemented during this current school year (2009-10). Part of this database was assigning a number (CSID) to each student that will remain with him or her during his or her educational career. CSID’s cannot be linked directly to a students name or “any other personally identifiable information.” Ed Source recognized the challenge to schools and districts in collecting and maintaining “quality data” and names opportunities for human error as one logistical issue in the program. Parents and schools will need to make sure records are accurate so that data reported to the state is correct for tallying the overall rates. The program will track: “student-level demographic data, program participation data, student discipline, enrollment status, course-taking data, student assessment data.”

How Are Drop Out Rates Calculated? According to the CDE news release drop out rates are only calculated for high school students, ninth to twelfth grade. Drop out rates do not include students who leave school in any grade below ninth, although the raw numbers for grades seven and eight are collected. O’Connell notes “There are significant numbers of students who drop out of school during the middle school years.” He explains that the CDE plans to release those rates in the future. The CDE defines a drop out as any student who was enrolled in “grades [seven to twelve] at some time during the 2007-08 school year” and “has not graduated, has not completed an approved program, has not died and is not known to be in an educational program leading toward a high school diploma or it’s equivalent” during the reporting period. Those students who are incarcerated, join the armed forces, participate in the Job Corps or the Peace Corps, move to another country, are absent due to “suspension or illness”, or who have “verified” that they will enroll late (due to a “extended family vacation, or seasonal work”) are not included in the drop out rates. The CDE notes that districts are responsible for determining the status of their “no show” students. Some “no show” students do enroll in other schools, but if not, the district is “responsible for reporting that student as a drop out.” A student who is expelled is only counted as a drop out if they have “no option to return.”

Rates for FUSD (2008-09): According to the CDE website the drop out rates for Fillmore Unified School District are as follows; The adjusted one year drop out rate for all students for FUSD is 3.5% (41 students out of an enrollment of 1,996). The four year “derived” (an estimate of percentage of students who would drop out in a four year period based on data collected for single year) rate is 13.0%. When we examine subgroups we do see a slight gap; for Hispanic/Latino students the adjusted one-year rate is slightly higher than the general school population 3.6%, which is 1.8% higher than the rate for their White peers. Fillmore Superintendent Jeff Sweeney remarked “I am always concerned when we have “one student” drop out [as it] drastically reduce[s] their chances to have a good job and secure a promising future. Our District will continue to offer alternative school settings and course offerings like we have at Sierra High School and Fillmore High School. Both schools offer ways for students to recoup credits or make up classes. Also, we have a great relationship with Ventura Community College who offers classes on our FHS campus. And, our counselors continue to work with our students to help create pathways for their success and eventual graduation from high school.” Sweeney continued “We, FUSD and our community, need to continue to have high expectations that all of our students can excel and achieve. When staff believes all students can succeed, parents, and more importantly, students, believe it, too.”
Rates for Ventura County: The one year adjusted drop out rate for the County of Ventura is 4.3% with a four year derived rate of 16.4%.