Carson High School graduation rate rebounds post COVID, ACT test scores yet to pull up
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Tue, 04/18/2023 - 3:36pm
In 2019, the graduation rate for Carson High School was at nearly 94.6 percent; however, only two years later in 2021, the rate dropped significantly with only 88.7 percent being awarded their diploma.
However, in 2022, the graduation rate rebounded, with 92.3 percent of students able walk across the stage in their caps and gowns.
The current graduation rate across the state of Nevada has yet to rebound, with only 81.7 percent having graduated last year.
While CHS’s numbers have rebounded, however, the district as a whole still has a lower number at only 83.4 percent.
The overall district numbers also take into account Pioneer High School and Adult Education.
However, Tasha Fuson, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, said those numbers do not include students who take five years to graduate such as students with IEPs or English language learning students who often come back for a fifth year, but by the state’s statistic measures, are still counted as drop-outs.
Bob Chambers of Carson High School, who provided the report, said that the statistics also do not take into account students who may have started at Carson High School but graduate somewhere else.
“That 92.3 percent rate is the absolute lowest; if they don’t ask for records, and we don’t know where they went, they’re considered a drop out even if they graduate somewhere else,” Chambers said.
The formula for calculating the rates has also changed several times in previous years, Chambers said, which can skew statistics overall.
“Our graduation rates (this year) are a celebration,” Chambers said. “I am very proud of the work that every staff member has done at that high school.”
ACT scores have also taken a hit in the post-pandemic areas, and have not yet rebounded to prior years.
In 2019, English ACT scores averaged at 17.3 and in 2022 were at 15.9, the lowest of all years. Similarly, ACT Math scores in 2022 averaged at 16.8 while in 2019 they were 18.5.
Trustee Laurel Crossman noted that the numbers are not surprising.
“The students who took the ACT their junior year in 2022 were freshmen in 2020, so their high school experience of all the students has been most affected by the shutdowns, so to me it makes sense; they haven’t had a normal high school experience until this year.”
AP studies are up however, as well as Jump Start co-enrollments, and CTE education enrollments.
“It’s nice to see that the kids are starting to find their ‘norm’ again,” Trustee Joe Cacioppo said.
