BC News

BC tops 90 percent in state release of graduation rates

Posted: March 12, 2010

 

The district’s graduation rate for students who completed high school last year was 91 percent, according to a recent release from the New York State Department of Education.

This ranking puts BC near the top of the region, and is consistent with the district’s record of excellence, according to Superintendent Michael Tebbano.

"That’s one of the highest in the region and it continually is up in that range,” Dr. Tebbano said in announcing the rates at the March 17 Board of Education meeting. “We have an outstanding academic program and there is great commitment on the part of our community — parents, students and faculty — who all work together to help students successfully complete high school.”

Graduation rate is measured in different ways and usually applies to student cohorts — groupings of students who all entered a certain grade level at the certain time.

There is the rate for cohorts who graduated in four academic years (i.e. June of their senior year); rates for graduates who completed within four calendar years, which may include some summer school after the fourth academic year; and five and six year rates.

The 91 percent figure incorporates all BC students who entered High School in the fall of 2005 and had graduated within four years by August 2009. Another 5 percent of students who enrolled in the fall of 2005 are still enrolled in High School and 1 percent enrolled in the GED program.

At the Board of Education meeting, Dr. Tebbano noted that this will bring into the high 90s, the percentage of students who entered in 2005 that will complete high school.

The information the Education Department released about graduation rates statewide on March 10 can be accessed here.