Student completion rates

SD83 recently received its five-year high school completion rates for the 2021-22 school year, with data showing the district is just below the provincial average but trending upwards, reports Superintendent Donna Kriger.

The provincial average is 87.4 per cent and SD83 came in at 84.3 per cent. This completion rate is trending upwards, with the provincial rate up 1.8 per cent over last year and SD83 showing a 4.9 per cent increase.

Kriger added there are also some celebrations within the data which include more students graduating with a regular Dogwood versus an adult Dogwood. She noted that SD83 diverse learners are outperforming the provincial average, with respect to regular Dogwoods.

Kriger said the trend correction doesn’t happen by accident, and is not the result of one year’s efforts, but it is an accumulation of work over the years. “This is the work of the district paddling together to get these results.”

She said the district has to continue to hear the voices of the students in the margins and create safe places and spaces for kids to achieve. “We have to build a district so everyone can experience personal success.”

Kriger explains that the Senior Leadership Team has not yet had time to discuss these results in detail but a quick look gave them several avenues they would like to explore including:

• Why do diverse learners have the lowest graduation rates and often report the lowest sense of belonging in the district ? (Read additional information here)
• Success teachers for Indigenous students are tracking credits early and ensuring appropriate graduation pathways for Indigenous students – what can we learn from their approach?
• What can we learn from the “student experience” that will ensure the next Strategic Plan is “authentically” capturing the voices of students and particularly those at the margins of the district?