Graduation Rates Rose For Class Of 2020, Despite Difficult Year

OLYMPIA, WA — It has been an extremely difficult year for students and their parents as they've had to struggle to adapt to remote learning programs, uncertainty about the future, and concerns about health and safety amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But despite all of that, Washington's Class of 2020 really pulled through, according to state school officials.

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction says new data shows that, for current high school seniors, the 4-year graduation rate reached 82.9 percent. Not only is that 2 percent higher than the Class of 2019, it's an all-time high for the state of Washington.

The 4-year graduation rate is the percentage of students who started high school the same year and finished on time four years later. That said, the OSPI says graduation rates also rose for students who took 5 to 7 years to finish their degrees.

“The Class of 2020 completed their senior year in a manner unlike all of the graduating classes before them,” Superintendent Chris Reykdal said. “I’m proud of the way our educators, school staff, and families came together to support our seniors in reaching the finish line despite the challenges they faced.”

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction says that every student group saw their 4-year graduation rate increase over the last year, with the largest improvements in Native American and English learners.

“I’m pleased to see that gaps are closing, and I believe it’s important to celebrate that progress,” Reykdal said. “However, the work can’t slow down. We will continue our focus on closing gaps and ensuring all of our students have the supports they need for graduation and beyond.”

One of the reasons the graduation rate rose may be partially linked to relaxed standards put in place during the pandemic. To help push students to graduate despite the challenges of remote learning, the Washington State Board of Education created an emergency credit waiver program to support students who had been on track to graduate on time when the pandemic first closed schools last spring.

That's not to say students had it easy. The Class of 2020 was also the first class that had to meet a new "graduation pathway" requirement by showing that they were ready to take the next steps after high school in order to graduate. The OSPI and State Board of Education say they are analyzing how the credit waivers and graduation pathway programs impacted graduation rates, and hope to have that data available sometime next month.

While the 2020-2021 school year is already halfway done, there is reason for optimism going forward. Wednesday Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state would be changing its approach to in-person learning, recommending that more students transition back into the classroom. Currently, just 15 percent of the state's 1.2 million students are attending any in-person classes.

Read more: Washington Recommends More Schools Begin Reopening