Report: High School Dropout Rates Fall Statewide

The South Carolina Department of Education announced on Wednesday that the dropout for high school students decreased for the fifth consecutive year.

For the federal fiscal year 2011-2012, the dropout rate for all students was 2.5 percent. That's a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from 2010-2011 and 1.4 percentage points from 2007-2008.

“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.” State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais said in a prepared statement.

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 biggest improvement statewide among demographic groups was among black students. In 2011-2012, 366 fewer blacks dropped out than in the previous year, and 1,431 fewer than in 2007-2008.

It's important to note that a dropout rate of 2.5 percent does not mean that the graduation rate is 97.5 percent.
Students with disabilities are not counted toward the graduation rate and some students graduate in five years.

The dropout rate measures students who should be enrolled in school, but are not enrolled in school by their choice for their reasons.

NOTE: Attached documents also show district breakdown of dropout rates.