Dropout Rates Decrease in District Two and State

Dropout rates fell among Dorchester School District Two high school students from 4.3 percent to 2.9 percent last year, according to the district.

The numbers are from the 2008-09 school year and the subsequent 2009-10 school year.

"When the numbers drop in that category, it's a very good thing," district spokesperson Pat Raynor said Monday.

More than 800 fewer students dropped out of state high schools in 2010 than in the previous year, according to a new report from the S.C. Department of Education.

"It really is a community interest," Raynor said, adding that it affects economic development and industry in a region. "If one child drops out, that's one too many."

Dorchester School District Two will unveil an additional drop-out prevention program this year where a staff member at each school will provide resources and support to at-risk students.

In the last few years, the district has established a night school and a credit-recovery program to help wayward students get back on the track to graduation. Raynor cited both as helping keep potential drop-outs from dropping out.

Raynor also said that better reporting from the school district has also helped. The system doesn't count children who have switched schools as "dropouts," so tying up loose ends from children who no longer attended in this district has helped drive the dropout rate decrease.

The decrease during 2009-2010 was the second consecutive year of improvement in reducing dropout numbers in the state. Since 2007-08, the state’s total high school dropouts have decreased from 8,032 to 6,265 - a 22 percent improvement.

State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais said improved dropout rates are a critical step toward improved on-time high school graduation rates, which he views as a key measurement of success for the entire K-12 system.

"We have to make certain that kids stay focused and engaged from the first day of kindergarten through high school graduation," Zais said. "Students must have basic reading skills by third grade to successfully complete high school. Offering parents a full menu of schools to choose for their students will enable them to find the best fit for their learning styles. Technology allows schools to deliver customized learning experiences rather than one-size-fits-all instruction to every student.

"There is no silver bullet to magically improve high school graduation rates, but by focusing on the needs of students, we can and will make progress."

The 2010 dropout report found improvements in all demographic groups. Included were a decrease in dropouts among black students from 3,579 in 2007-08 to 2,724 in 2009-10 and a decrease in dropouts from high-poverty families from 4,451 in 2007-08 to 3,768 in 2009-10. Hispanic dropouts decreased from 399 in 2007-2008 to 322 in 2009-10.

Looking at specific grades, the best progress in reducing dropouts occurred among ninth-graders, with 2,342 ninth-graders dropping out in 2007-08 compared to 1,691 ninth-graders dropping out in 2009-10. Ninth-graders made up 29 percent of total high school dropouts in 2007-08, but 27 percent last year.