DMPS Sees Increase in Graduation Rate, Decrease in Dropout Rate

The Iowa Department of Education today released data on the four-year graduation rate for the Class of 2013 and the five-year graduation rate for the Class of 2012.

Des Moines Public Schools had increases in both rates, as well as a decrease in the dropout rate.

The Class of 2013 at Des Moines Public Schools had a graduation rate of 79.36%, an increase of 0.21% over the previous year and the highest since Iowa began using its current graduation rate formula in 2009.

Statewide figures also show an overall increase in the percentage of Iowa high school students who completed high school in four years, with a statewide graduation rate of 89.68% for 2013 compared to 89.26% for 2012.

Des Moines Public Schools also saw an increase in the five-year graduation rate to 82.89% for the Class of 2012, up from 81% for the Class of 2011.

Statewide figures also show an overall increase in the percentage of Iowa high school students who completed high school in five years, with a five-year rate of 92.15% for the Class of 2012 compared to 91.45% for the Class of 2011.

The following chart shows the graduation rate trend at DMPS over the past five years:

This is the fifth year that Iowa graduation rates have been calculated using a formula established by the U.S. Department of Education. Unique student identification numbers are assigned to ninth-grade students, allowing school districts to account for all students as they move through high school. At the state level, the method helps determine when a student graduates, even if the student has moved to a different district in Iowa during high school.

The graduation rate for Des Moines has increased nearly 7 percent since the State of Iowa first started using this formula for the Class of 2009.

“Progress can never be fast enough but our work is moving us in the right direction,” said Superintendent Tom Ahart. “We have put more tools in place to help make sure more students earn their diploma. We now need to stay focused on what is working while learning how we can do a better job – not only in our schools but at home and throughout the community – to help every student succeed.”

In the fall of 2009, Des Moines Public School implemented the Early Indicator System (EIS) to help identify students who may be at risk of dropping out of school. The EIS tracks attendance, class performance, and discipline/behavior issues at the elementary and secondary levels. In addition, each high school now has an Academic Support Lab to help serve students who are identified through the EIS as at-risk for dropping out of school.

The Iowa Department of Education also released dropout rates for school districts across the state.

Des Moines Public Schools saw a decline in the dropout rate last year. The grade 7-12 dropout rate for 2013 was 4.16%, down from 4.73% the previous year. The grade 9-12 dropout rate for 2011-12 was 6.3%, down from 7.05% in 2012 and the lowest dropout rate at DMPS under the new formula.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education for copies of the complete state-wide graduation and dropout rate information released today.