The six-year completion rates at high schools in the Sea to Sky corridor are on an upward trend.
Statistics released by School District 48 show the rate in 2011 was 81 per cent, up from 73 per cent in 2010.
An even more positive statistic is the completion rate for aboriginal students over the course of the two-year monitoring period. In the 2009/10 school year the completion rate was only 39 per cent for Grade 12 aboriginal students while in the next school year the statistic jumped to 54 per cent.
Ian Kent, the assistant superintendent of schools, said the school district is happy with the results.
“We’re excited about the one year results,” said Kent. “We want to watch it carefully and watch our trends over time.”
Kent said there’s a desire to make sure the rates remain high and the results don’t swing drastically up and down over the long term. He noted the district is happy to see strong gains in two particular categories of students. The assistant superintendent singled out the results of male students in Grade 12.
“We went from 67 per cent to 76, so nine per cent growth,” said Kent.
He also pointed out that the First Nations graduation rate showed positive gains.
“By raising the aboriginal and the male, its pulled all students up,” Kent said.
The 2010/09 graduation results in the school district represent the best results for the district dating back to 2004. Kent said one of the strategies pushing up the graduation rate is the school district’s assessment for learning program. He said the program teaches students how to better understand their learning and then give them tools to know what to do about their learning.
“It seems to be paying off and working for us,” said Kent.
