Sd Unified Improved Student Graduation Rates & College and Career Preparedness with Class of 2025
San Diego Unified School District high school graduation rates for the 2024–2025 academic year saw a notable increase compared to the previous year, along with measurable improvements in college and career preparedness. The Class of 2025 graduation rate is nearly 2%* higher and their college and career preparedness rate was 4.2% higher than the previous year’s graduating class, as measured by the State’s College and Career Indicator.
“It is encouraging to see this level improvement, but we have a lot more work to do to ensure every student graduates from our high schools prepared to experience a choice-filled life,” said Superintendent Fabi Bagula, Ph.D., San Diego Unified School District. “We are constantly working to improve student outcomes throughout our district, and I attribute these modest rises in graduation rates and college and career readiness to our focus on real-time data monitoring, and collaborative support systems we have enacted to help students on their path to being future ready.”
San Diego Unified students have three paths toward improving their college and career opportunities post graduation by taking “a-g” courses that help them become eligible for California State Universities, earning early college credit through the district’s partnerships with higher education institutions, and career technical education (CTE).
Even though the Class of 2025 had an uptick in its graduation rate, there was a 0.9% decrease in the number of students choosing to complete the CTE Pathway when compared to the Class of 2024.
According to the California Department of Education, CTE significantly increases the high school graduation rate and also results in a higher percentage of students going to college and persisting through graduation. High-risk students are 8 to 10 times less likely to drop out in grades ten and eleven if they enroll in a CTE program instead of a general program.
District leaders indicate it could be attributed to a variety of reasons, but San Diego Unified leaders, as they do, are taking action to improve CTE completion outcomes.
“What is going to be different going forward is because of a Golden State Pathways grant we’ve received from the state of California, we’re going to leverage the expertise of instructional coordinators who will be able to better guide our students and families as they decide if the CTE pathway is the right one for them,” said Jen Roberson, Executive Director, Office of Graduation, San Diego Unified School District.
On Tuesday night during the Board of Education meeting, district leaders will deliver its progress monitoring report on Interim Goals 4.1 and 4.2 for College and Career Readiness, along with updates about bringing the remaining eight district high schools in alignment with 13 others that use a 4x4 schedule. To see the presentations that will be delivered, click: Goal 4.1; Goal 4.2; 4x4.
*Projected calculation based on data submitted by the San Diego Unified School District to the California Department of Education. Confirmation is expected in November.