Whitefish Bay Graduation Rate Remains Strong

Whitefish Bay High School's graduation rate remains one of the highest in the state, with roughly 98 percent of students graduating last year.

According to new figures from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction,  Whitefish Bay saw 97.9 percent of students graduate in 2009-10, using the traditional legacy formula. The statewide average is 89.9 percent.

The state also calculated the number of students who graduated in four years. Under the four-year adjusted cohort formula, the district's graduation rate was  95 percent, compared to the statewide average of 85.7 percent.

The difference between the two percentages are due mainly to special education students, who are allowed to stay enrolled until they are 21 years old, said Laura Myrah, the district's director of curriculum and instruction.

From the 2007-08 to 2008-09 school years, the graduation rate dipped from 97.3 percent to 94 percent. It then headed back up to 97.9 percent in 2009-10, which, with a graduating class of 240 students, could be the difference of a handful of students, Myrah said.

Myrah said the district's high graduation rate speaks to the emphasis Whitefish Bay students place on education and planning for college. Another contributing factor is the level of parental involvement and support that Whitefish Bay students receive.

"We have students that are serious about their schooling," she said. "They are goal-oriented, and they know where they want to go."

The legacy rate had been used in Wisconsin since the 2003-04 school year. By the 2012-13 school year, DPI will report four-year and six-year adjusted cohort graduation rate.

“Wisconsin has traditionally had one of the highest, if not the highest, graduation rates in the nation,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers in a press release. “We should be proud of this accomplishment as we work to ensure every child is a graduate. But, we all know that even one dropout is too many.”

According to DPI, 413 of the state’s 584 public and charter high schools had a graduation rate above the state average and 75 of them had a 100 percent legacy graduation rate.

However, the report did show disparities in graduation rates in respect to racial and enthnic groups, along with disparities between economic status, disability and English language proficiency.

“We know that on-time graduation is just not going to happen for a small percentage of our high school students,” Evers said. “We want our data collection and reporting to respect the perseverance and hard work of  students, along with their parents and teachers, to complete high school even when it takes longer than four years or is through alternative programs or credentials.

“Reporting two graduation rates will offer a more comprehensive picture of our students’ transition from high school,” he said.

Graduation rates

School year

Whitefish Bay legacy graduation rate

Wisconsin legacy graduation rate

2009-10

97.9%

89.9%

2008-09

94.0%

89.4%

2007-08

97.3%

89.0%

2006-07

99.1%

89.6%

2005-06

97.4%

89.3%

2004-05

98.6%

88.8%