Redlands Unified Exceeds County, State Graduation Rates

Redlands Unified School District has exceeded both the state and San Bernardino County graduation rates for the class of 2014, with 90.6 percent of students earning a high school diploma, new data released by the California Department of Education shows. The data released April 28 also shows that dropout rates at RUSD schools have remained at 4.8 percent over the last year, 7.4 percent less than the countywide dropout rate of 12. There were also increases last year in the graduation rates of Hispanic/Latino and African American and students of two or more non-Hispanic races, up 2 percent and half a percent, respectively. Graduation rates from 2014 show RUSD is 2 percent higher than the state graduation rate of 80.8 percent and 12 percent higher than the countywide graduation rate of 78.6 percent in 2014, data shows. At the same time, dropout rates at Redlands East Valley High have decreased by 1.4 percent in the last year, but the dropout rates at Citrus Valley and Redlands high schools have increased by .2 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively. Statewide, countywide and district-wide, schools have also seen a decrease in enrollment. Redlands Unified enrollment rates dropped from 21,379 students total in 2013 to 21,233 students total in 2014, a less than 1 percent decrease. English learner enrollment rates in the district also dropped in the last year, from 2,058 total in 2013 to 1,966 in 2014. This decrease follows the seven-year countywide trend of decline, the CDE report shows. "Our priority is to have more county students college- and career-ready," said San Bernardino County Superintendent Ted Alejandre, "so it's imperative that we continue to grow our graduation rates and steadily decrease dropout rates. Our trends largely mirror what is taking place statewide, but we know there is more work that we need to do here as a region to remain economically viable." State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson credited a variety of influences in the increase of California high school graduation rates, including the collection of more precise data, which Torlakson said has put a spotlight on graduation rates and helped teachers and administrators adjust instruction for all students - particularly for those most in danger of failing or dropping out. Despite record graduation rates, however, Torlakson, like Alejandre, said there's still work to be done. "I challenge educators, parents, students, and community leaders to continue the hard work needed to help every student graduate," he said, "and to make a special effort to raise graduation rates for English learners and Latino and African American students."