Grad rates at D.C. charters decline

Graduation rates for charter high schools in the District declined slightly in the 2008-2009 school year, according to the D.C. Public Charter School Board.




Charter officials said that 83.35 percent of its students graduated in the 2008-2009 school year compared to 88 percent the school year before. Graduation rates are calculated by tracking the students who entered 9th grade and graduated from 12th grade within four years.



“We are pleased that the graduation rate for D.C. charter schools is above the national average of about 69 percent, which includes schools from more affluent areas as well as rural school districts,” said Josephine Baker, Executive Director, D.C. Public Charter School Board. “As we become more precise in our ability to track students who drop out or transfer to other schools, we could see further decline in drop out rates.”



The D.C. Public Charter School Board currently oversees 57 public charter schools on 99 campuses, serving approximately 28,000 students living in every ward of the city. Public charter schools now serve 38 percent of all public school students in Washington, D.C.

Source:washingtonpost.com/