Announcements

Denver, CO –The Denver Public Schools’ Class of 2009 posted a 7-point increase in the percentage of graduates who enrolled in a college or university this fall, rising to about 49% this year. In addition, DPS saw its overall high school graduation rate increase by 3.2 percentage points, to 52.7%. It’s the district’s biggest jump in the graduation rate since 2003, when it climbed by 6 points.

“These are encouraging numbers that show we have a significantly higher percentage of our students graduating from high school and going on to college, and I’d like to thank our high school educators for their hard work.” DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg said at today’s press conference at North High School, which saw its graduation rate increase by 12.1 percentage points, to 58.2%. “We need to build on this success, dramatically increase the rate of progress, and keep working toward having all of our students graduating from high school with the skills they need to succeed in college and careers.”

North High School, 2960 N. Speer Blvd., saw its number of graduates increase from 142 to 189 in 2009, and its college-enrollment rate jumped from 33% to 37%.

“We are encouraged by these numbers,” North Principal Ed Salem said, “I can attribute our increase to the dedication and focus of my teachers and staff. We understand the importance of ensuring college readiness for all our students.”

Boasberg added: “At North and across the district, we’ve had a determined focus on increasing and improving college-readiness programs for our students.”

That focus has led to big jumps in the following college-readiness measures:
• The number of students who were concurrently enrolled in high school and college-level courses increased by 56%.
• The number of students taking Advanced Placement courses increased by about 32%.
• The number of students earning college credit by passing an AP exam increased by 23.5%.
• The percentage of juniors scoring a 20 or better on the ACT college-entrance exam increased by 2 points, to 28.2%.

“We need to keep raising the bar,” Boasberg added, “keep expanding high-quality options—especially at the middle school and high school level, and providing programs that really increase opportunities for students to connect with their school and see the impact that a great education can have on their lives.”