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School district graduation rates on the rise

Nearly 80 per cent of students attending a School District 57 high school are completing Grade 12, according to numbers released this week. At 79.7 per cent, the figure for the 2017-18 school year represents a 6.
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Nearly 80 per cent of students attending a School District 57 high school are completing Grade 12, according to numbers released this week.

At 79.7 per cent, the figure for the 2017-18 school year represents a 6.5-percentage-point rise over the previous school year.

The rate for all of B.C. is 84.8 per cent.

In a statement, school board chair Tim Bennett said trustees are "excited by these results" but also know more work needs to be done to not only reach parity with the rest of the province but to reach 100 per cent completion.

"We also need to ensure that this is not a blip on our chart but the new baseline," he added.

Called the six-year graduation rate, it is based on the number of students who earn either a B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood) or B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood) within six years of enrolling in Grade 8.

It does not include students who achieved a British Columbia School Completion Certificate (Evergreen) which applies to those with special needs who have met the goals of their individual education plan.

The school district also witnessed an increase in the graduation rate for Aboriginal students which rose 8.5 points to 65.8 per cent. B.C.-wide it is 69 per cent.

Likewise, the graduation rate for English language learners rose 7.9 points to 64.3 per cent and for students with special needs, it rose 13.3 points to 57.8 per cent. B.C.-wide, the rate for English language learners is 87.7 per cent and for special needs students it is 71.7 per cent.

A five-year strategy, dubbed "Inspiring Learning Anywhere" and approved by trustees in 2016, is credited for the improvement. It outlines overall and specific goals, including raising graduation rates to the point where they meet or exceed the average for the province.