SDP Releases Findings on LAUSD Graduation Rates

Findings released by researchers at the Strategic Data Project (SDP), based at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, highlight trends in progress towards graduation and college readiness for students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Using an analysis of data accumulated on the class of 2011 that includes students' grades, credit accumulation, and exit exam results, SDP researchers uncovered a number of important findings about student success in high school.

Key SDP findings include: identifying a large gap between the number of students graduating and the number who are deemed college ready through completion of their A-G requirements — such that only one-third of 2011 graduates had completed the requirements necessary for admission to college within the University of California and California State systems. Other key finding show ninth-grade performance in coursework, particularly earning enough credits to be on-track for graduation, was strongly related to on-time graduation. In addition, the LAUSD average 59 percent four-year graduation rate was found to range widely by individual high school and by ethnicity, even when comparing students of similar eighth-grade English performance.

"The district’s most important goal is to have students graduate from LAUSD college ready and prepared for careers," said LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy. "The findings of this study help us to pinpoint best practices and identify areas of improvement to achieve our ambitious goal."

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