Schools

Dropout Rates Decline for Berkeley County High Schools

Berkeley County School District follows the statewide trend.

Fewer high schoolers dropped out in the 2011-2012 school year than the previous year in Berkeley County — following the statewide trend.

The dropout rate for the district is 2.0 percent, the same rate as 2009-2010 school year. In the 2010-2011, the rate was 2.7 percent. The 2008-2009 school year saw a dropout rate of 5.5 percent.

Statewide, 68 fewer students dropped out of school than in the previous year, according to a new report from the South Carolina Department of Education. The dropout rate for all students was 2.5 percent, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from 2010-2011 and 1.4 percentage points from 2007-2008.

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Since 2007-2008, the state’s total annual dropouts have declined from 8,032 to 5,232 – nearly a 35 percent reduction.

State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais said reducing dropoutrates 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.

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“The prospects for long-term economic growth and job creation improve as more students graduate from high school with the skills necessary to compete for jobs in the workforce, enlist in the military, or enroll in an institution of higher education. The path to prosperity for South Carolina’s economy begins, but does not end, with greater numbers of high school graduates.” Zais said.

Zais continued, “Legislators must focus their efforts on policies that end social promotion and require students to demonstrate mastery of basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills before third grade. Lawmakers should continue to expand parental choice so parents can find the best fit for their child’s learning style. Schools should embrace the use of technology, such as virtual courses offered by the Department, because technology can be used to deliver a personalized and customized education to every child.”

The largest decrease in dropouts was among Black (non-Hispanic) students. In 2011-2012, 366 fewer students in this demographic group dropped out than in the previous year, and 1,431 fewer than in 2007-2008.

Between 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, all demographic groups saw reductions in the dropout rate with the exception of American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander students.

To see charts detailing the dropout data, click here.


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