SACRAMENTO – (INT) – California public school students are improving in several areas, according to the Department of Education’s annual Dashboard released Thursday (November 21st).

Highlights:

• All student groups show significant increases in consistently attending schools, with a 16.7 percent year-over-year decline in chronic absenteeism.

• There is continued statewide growth in student graduation rates, with the largest cohort of students graduating K–12 schools since 2017.

• College and career readiness has been maintained for all students and increased for specific student groups, narrowing equity gaps for Black/African American students, American Indian/Alaska Native students, and Long-Term English Learners.

• Suspension rates have declined for every student group, though there is a need for a continued focus on disparities in suspension for Black/African American students, foster youth, Long-Term English Learners, homeless youth, and students with disabilities.

Among other findings:
The chronic absenteeism rate, which measures the number of students who missed 10 percent of the days they were enrolled for any reason, declined to 20.4 percent in 2023–24.

The four-year graduation rate for the class of 2024 is 86.4 percent, a slight increase from the prior year and a higher rate than pre-pandemic levels.

“California is continuing to make important strides in post-pandemic recovery—we’re getting students back to school, getting more of them prepared for college and careers, and graduating them in greater numbers,” said California State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond.

Story Date: November 22, 2024