California's Department of Education released Wednesday the newest data available for high school dropout rates. And although school officials locally and across the state are pleased that new technology has allowed for more accurate data, many remain dissatisfied with the numbers in the data.

According to the state reports, 67.6 percent of public school students in California graduated in 2006-2007, 24.2 percent dropped out and 8.2 percent are considered neither dropouts nor graduates. In Kings County, the reports indicate the area's number of dropouts lower than the state number, at 21.8 percent.

The state's 8.2 percent not counted as graduates or dropouts stems from students who transferred to a private school, left the state or earned a General Education Degree. This is the first year that the data was compiled using a Statewide Student Identifier, or SSID, which provides each student a unique identification number and allows for much more accurate information about how many students are or are not completing their education.

"For too long, we had to rely on complicated formulas to make educated guesses about how many students were graduating and how many were leaving school without a diploma," said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction. "Arguments over differing approaches to this calculation often resulted in confusing and distracting conversations. Now, using student-level data, we can improve the accuracy of our count of how many students drop out, increase accountability, and focus on preventing dropouts.

"Twenty-four percent of students dropping out is not good news. In fact, any student dropping out of school is one too many, and the data reveal a disturbingly high dropout rate for Latinos and African Americans. But, the dropout rate itself is only part of the story. Now, using the new student-level data we will have a much clearer picture of why students drop out. This is data-rich information that will be a powerful tool to better target resources, assistance, and interventions to keep students in school and on track."

Locally, Kings County's percentage is also lower than Fresno County's reported 31.3 percent and Tulare County's 24 percent. Reports indicated the dropout rate at 18.5 percent for Hanford Joint Union High School District, 18 percent for Lemoore Union High School District and 23.5 percent for Corcoran Unified School District.

Jim Shaver, county education director of curriculum and instruction, said there are still many inaccuracies in the dropout reporting. Shaver added that he anticipated the numbers to be higher, although he believed some of the reported numbers were clearly too high and some were clearly reported too low.

One example of a number reported too high was that of Armona Union Elementary School District's Crossroads Charter Academy at 44.6 percent. But Steve Bogan, superintendent of Armona school district, said that Crossroads is not necessarily set up to be a school where all students attend ninth through 12th grade. O'Connell said that alternative education schools' rates should not be compared to traditional, comprehensive high school rates.

"We don't see kids for four years generally," Bogan said.

Often students transfer into or out of Crossroads, and in transferring, some students aren't tracked and the dropout rate skyrockets through the small student population to an inaccurate percentage.

Shaver also pointed to Reef-Sunset Unified School District, where state reports indicate a 4.3 percent dropout rate. Shaver said he doesn't believe that number is correct, unless every student that left Avenal High School enrolled and attended another California public school. Shaver said that in five or six years the data "will get cleaned up."

Suzanne Monroe, superintendent of Reef-Sunset district, said she would be "very surprised if [the] dropout rate was that low." But she and district staff members will go back in and see if corrections need to be made.

Shaver also emphasized that school districts will be correcting these numbers and the state will continually post updated percentages. The state had set a deadline for schools to correct data, but has since changed to opt for no deadline, because over time as a district adjusts a number -- especially in the case of transfers -- it will affect the number of another school district.

Shaver was pleased that Kings County's dropout rates are lower than other areas in the state. He said the small size of the county's school districts factored into that low dropout rate, and added that "larger districts have larger problems."

"I think the idea of collecting the data in this manner is a good idea," Shaver said. "Even though it's not perfect, it's in the right direction.

Leslie Steffen, director of curriculum for Hanford Joint Union High School District, said the district's reported 18.5 percent is still a number the district would like to be lower. Steffen added that she believes the actual rate is lower, and will be looking the data over to see if and where corrections need to be made.

O'Connell noted that it would be a mistake to compare this year's dropout numbers to last year's rate, which was 13 percent, because the numbers are based on different information.

O'Connell also mentioned that dropout rates are viewable by ethnicity. Across the state, reports indicate that 30.3 percent of Hispanic or Latino students dropped out in 06-07, along with 41.6 percent of African American students and 15.2 percent of white students. O'Connell said this new data is proof that the achievement gap among students is real.

Dropout rates for each county, district and school are viewable at http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2424.

(July 17, 2008)