UCS grad rate of 94.2 shows continued growth, outpaces region

The Utica Community Schools graduation rate showed improvement and remains one of the region’s top performers, according to a recent state report.

The Center for Educational Performance and Information annual report of Michigan graduation rates showed a UCS graduation rate of 94.2 percent for the 2018-2019 school year. This represents an increase over the 2017-2018 rate of 92.9 percent.

UCS graduates outpaced the State of Michigan average of 81.4 percent by nearly 13 percentage points.

“Our graduation rate reflects the high expectations and hard work of our students and educators,” superintendent Dr. Christine Johns said. “The rate represents an important performance indicator of our strategic direction to provide all UCS students with access to rigorous, high quality courses that promote post-secondary success.”

The graduation rates for Utica Community Schools has grown from over the past six years from 90.5 to 94.2 – a 3.7 percent increase.

The district is also working hard to close the achievement gap for all students. For specific student groups between 2013 and 2019, the graduation rate for African American grew from 66.7 to 79.4 (12 .7 percent increase), 65.5 to 89.5 for Hispanic/Latino (a 24 percent increase), from 75 to 93.1 percent for multiracial students (a 18.1 percent increase), a 76.2 percent to 79.8 increase for English Learners (a 3.6 percent increase), 74.3 to 79.9 for Students with Disabilities (a 5.6 percent increase), and 78.8 to 87.4 for Economically Disadvantaged students (an 8.6 percent increase).

Regionally, Utica Community Schools graduation rates annually outpace averages in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties.

UCS strategies that focus on improving high school graduation rates include:

• Achievement Via Individualized Determination (AVID) – AVID is a research-based college readiness support. Students take rigorous courses and receive additional support in such areas as organization, study skills, and critical thinking, and participate in motivational activities that promote the importance of continuing education after their high school diploma.

• Credit Review and Recovery – School administrators begin in ninth grade to closely monitor students to ensure they are staying on track to earn the required credits for graduation. Students needing additional assistance are provided individual support in ninth grade and future years to maintain focus on graduation and successful post-secondary experiences. Through recovery, schools work with students to recover specific credits needed through after-school or summer school opportunities.

CEPI calculates graduation rates by tracking enrollment records of individual students from the time they first enroll as ninth graders. This method, along with concerted efforts by CEPI, school administrators and intermediate school district auditors, accounts for every student.

District and state graduation information is available at: https://www.mischooldata.org/ under the K-12th Grade Student Counts section.

Source: Utica Community Schools

Dr. Christine Johns, Superintendent of Schools

Http://www.uticak12.org