FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts:
James Canning, jcanning@sandi.net, 313-580-2845
Michael Murad, mmurad@sandi.net, 619-925-4790
SD UNIFIED SCHOOLS MAKING STEADY PROGRESS ACCORDING TO 2024 CA DASHBOARD
Chronic Absenteeism Declines for a 2nd Consecutive Year at San Diego Unified Schools
88.3% Graduation Rate, 1.5 Points Less than 2023 Due to More Stringent Use of Graduation Waivers
SAN DIEGO (NOVEMBER 21, 2024) – The 2024 California Schools Dashboard released today shows San Diego Unified School District continues to make steady progress toward its commitment to reduce chronic absenteeism and increase student preparedness to pursue careers, college, and overcome life adversities to succeed. District officials are encouraged by the progress being made, but acknowledge work must continue across all the Dashboard’s performance indicators.
“We are committed to ensuring all of our students have the tools they need to sucessfully enter the workforce and secure a degree,” said Fabi Bagula, Interim Superintendent, San Diego Unified School District. “We hold ourselves as educators to high standards. Some of the indicators are very encouraging, others show we need to keep improving. We are not satisfied with maintaining the status quo or decline in any performance area. Everyone at San Diego Unified, including me, our Trustees and educators are dedicated to doing better everyday.”
The 2024 California Schools Dashboard results reveal some upward trends to continue building upon on when compared to the 2023 results:
- Chronic Absenteeism continues to significantly improve. It has declined by another 5.8 points, the 2nd consecutive year of decline. 21.4% of students struggle with chronic absenteeism
- The College and Career Indicators positively increased 3%. This means more students are prepared for college or a career.
- English Language Arts/Literacy Academic Indicator modestly ticked up 0.3 points, and remained 7.2 points above standard.
- Mathematics Academic Indicator modestly increased up 0.5 points.
- Suspensions remained steady with just 2.5% of students suspended for one day.
“We are invested in the long-term success of every child who enters a San Diego Unified classroom. I am proud of our students’ continued growth in the area of college and career readiness and steadily decreasing rates of chronic absenteeism,” said Shana Hazan, President, San Diego Unified School District Board of Trustees. “But plenty of work remains, and because our District now has clear goals and thoughtful plans in place, we are taking action to ensure every child can reach their full potential.”
Slight Decrease in Graduation Rate Due to Stricter Use of Graduation Waivers
In 2020-21, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State loosened requirements for using graduation waivers, which allowed for families to approve their student for graduation as long as they met the state minimum graduation requirements. When the 2023 CA Schools Dashboard was released, SDUSD like other Districts was still allowing families to use the waivers, but SDUSD tightened the waiver restrictions, which contributed to the slight decline in graduation rates. Not all school districts have tightened their requirements for using gradation waivers. For the class of 2023, 386 waivers with looser restrictions were used for students and approved by families and principals compared to the class of 2024 when just 115 waivers were used.
“Education is about preparing students for life beyond the classroom,” said Interim Superintendent Bagula about the graduation rate performance indicators. “We’re putting students in a position to pursue successful careers, fulfill their passions, overcome the adversities life hands them, and be positive contributors to our communities.”
To learn more about the 2024 California Schools Dashboard, click here.
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