Although dropout rates improved for area high schools, more than one in five Stanislaus County teenagers did not graduate last year, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Education.
In Stanislaus County, 22.7 percent of students failed to finish high school, according to the 2007-08 school year figures, the most recent available. That was better than 23.6 percent in 2006-07.
The state's 2007-08 dropout rate hovered at 20.1 percent — down from 24.2 percent the previous year.
Modesto City Schools' Craig Rydquist said the topic is getting much-needed attention up and down the state.
"I think improving relevancy in regular classrooms and having alternative education programs in place is key," said Ryd-quist, one of the district's associate superintendents.
Modesto educators have worked with the Stanislaus County Office of Education to hold workshops asking teenagers and teachers what schools could do better to keep students from quitting school. Teens have recommended making lessons relevant to the real world and students' daily lives, and improving personal relationships between school employees and students.
Most county high schools saw decreases in their dropout rates when compared with the previous year, but officials said the numbers could go up or down each year depending on each class's characteristics.
Jack O'Connell, California schools superintendent, said he's looking forward to the 2009-10 school year, when officials will have the first four years of data using new student identification numbers.
Even though the dropout percentages are lower than last year, the state's "dropout rate is still unacceptably high," O'Connell said in a statement Tuesday.
Other trends from the data:
• When broken down by ethnic group, Stanislaus County students have higher dropout rates compared with the state as a whole. The county's Asian student dropout rate is 14.4 percent, compared with 8.4 percent statewide. A gap exists for white students as well — the dropout rate for whites is 18.9 percent in the county and 12.2 percent at the state level.
The county's dropout rate among Latinos mirrors the state: 26.2 percent left school in 2007-08 compared with 25.5 percent statewide.
On the other hand, area black students leave high school at lower rates than across the state — 32.4 percent versus the state's 34.7 percent.
• Calaveras County was able to push its dropout rate into the single digits, going from 10.1 percent of students leaving school in 2006-07 to 6.8 percent in 2007-08.
• Oakdale High School recorded the region's lowest dropout rate at 2.6 percent. Second place among area schools was a tie between Newman's Orestimba High and Denair High, each at 4.5 percent.
• Stanislaus County high schools were able to lower the dropout rate for low-income students in 2007-08 compared with 2006-07 — from 27.2 percent to 22.4 percent — but the rate for English language learners climbed from 24.2 percent to 25.8 percent.
To view state, county, district and school-level data, go to http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest.
Bee staff writer Michelle Hatfield can be reached at mhatfield@modbee.com or 578-2339.
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