Grad rate increase > 40% over three years - too good to be true?

APS Executive Director of Communications Monica Armenta reports, link;

APS saw gains in the graduation rate in every demographic sub group, but the biggest gains came from those students with disabilities. The graduation rate for that group increased more than 40% in three years!

The increase is from 44.9% in 2011 to more than 63% in 2013. That rate jumped 14 percentage points in just one year. This is remarkable. Really.

Really?

40% growth in graduation rates over three years is indeed remarkable.  The growth can flow from either or both of two springs; lower standards or increased performance.

If standards were lowered to increase graduation rates, student interests were not served.  The Community was not served.  Only the interests of those who need higher gradation rates to keep their jobs, were served.

It's not the graduation certificate that gets you through the rest of your life, it's the knowledge and skill set that the graduation certificate is supposed to represent.  Making the certificate meaningless in order to give more of them out is utterly indefensible.

On the other hand, if knowledge and skill set have actually grown more than 40%, it represents a near doubling of successful efforts to educate.  Again, "remarkable";

worthy of being or likely to be noticed especially as being uncommon or extraordinary

Worthy of coverage in journals of education.

Worthy of coverage in the Albuquerque Journal.

If a number of APS teachers, staff and students are experiencing unheard of success, it is newsworthy. Where is the investigation and report?

Journal Editor Kent Walz

It's time for the Journal to step up to their obligation to inform the democracy about the public interests in the public schools.

Enough is enough.




photo Mark Bralley
Walz; ched macquigg