News Releases
PCSB Celebrates High Graduation, College Acceptance and Scholarship Stats
For Immediate Release: July 23, 2008
Contact: Nona Richardson 202/328-2670
Washington, D.C. - The D.C. Public Charter School Board's (PCSB) July 21st meeting included a relatively small agenda, which provided time for board members to recognize the city's charter high school exceptional graduation, college acceptance and scholarship news.
Board members conditionally approved new locations for Cesar Chavez PCS, Nia Community PCS and D.C. Preparatory Academy PCS, and conditionally approved a temporary increase in Community Academy PCS's enrollment in its full-time virtual learning program.
After completing the business of the evening, PCSB chair Tom Nida took the opportunity to share with the audience the good news about charter high school achievements. The PCSB recently compiled the earliest results available about high school graduation rates since the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) established the method for calculating graduation and drop-out rates, which involve tracking students from 9th through 12th grade. The report, accepted by OSSE for state NCLB reporting, revealed remarkably high graduation rates among charter high schools in 2007. On average, charter high schools graduated 91% of the students who entered 9th grade in 2003. This average did not include five charter high schools previously authorized by the former D.C. Board of Education (BOE) for which data were not available.
A PCSB-verified survey of all charter high schools, including former BOE charter schools, reported similar results for high school students graduating, and earning college acceptance and scholarships in 2008. Charter high schools reported that 850 students graduated in 2008; 687 of those students took college entrance exams, 83% were accepted to at least one college or university, and those accepted earned more than $11 million dollars in scholarships to enter college this fall. Complete details of each school's 2007 graduation rate, and college acceptance and scholarships in 2008 will be available in the PCSB's July 30th Annual Report, and will be posted on the PCSB website (dcpubliccharter.com).
In 2006, the OSSE, in collaboration with DCPS and local education-reform organizations, issued a report (Double the Numbers for College Success) stating that 43% of students from DCPS and public charter high schools graduate in five years, and only 29% of those attend college.
Board Chair Tom Nida stated, "While we have focused so much on standardized tests and AYP, these data remind us to focus more on the outcomes - how many students are graduating, going on to college and to work. This is very encouraging news. This latest report of 2007 charter graduation rates, and these recent college statistics, suggests that the charter high schools are beginning to see the fruits of their labor. We should certainly acknowledge this remarkable progress."
The D.C. Public Charter School Board became the sole authorizer of public charter schools in 2007. This fall, the PCSB will oversee the academic, operational and financial management of 64 public charter schools, which will serve more than 22,000 students.
Click here for Charter High School Graduation Rates 2008.doc
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