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SD8 First time Grad rates maintain at 78% for 2019-2020 School Year

Contributor
By Contributor
January 29th, 2021

In a media release Friday, Kootenay Lake School District 8 said it is seeing first time grad rates maintain at 78% for the third year in a row according to Ministry of Education Completion and Graduation rates for the 2019-2020 school year.

B.C. Ministry of Education data shows the percentage of resident students who have completed Grade 12 within six years of enrolling in Grade 8 maintained at 95 per cent in 2019-20. The provincial average of 89.6 per cent.

The English Language Learners (ELL) continue to improve with a completion rate of 90.8% in 2019-2020 over 81.2% in the previous year.

“Education staff have worked hard, under unprecedented circumstances last year to ensure the right interventions and supports for students were provided,” says Board Chair, Lenora Trenaman.

Graduation rates for Indigenous students continue a four-year positive trend, with a six-year completion rate of 74.7%, up from 57.6 per cent in 2016-2017 and higher than the 71.1 per cent provincial average. This is excellent news for our Indigenous families.

All students’ completion rates are at 74.6 per cent and all resident students at 80.5 percent.

Six-year completion rates for students with special needs dipped to 61.1% in 2019-20 from 73.1% the previous school year yet remains higher than the four-year rate from 2016-2017 which was 48.5%. The provincial average graduation rate for students with special needs is 73.9%.

“Our secondary school staff have been reviewing the progress of each of our Grade 10-12 students through Academic Reviews, with particular attention and support for those who face additional challenges in completing their education,” says Superintendent Perkins. 

“When you factor in a global pandemic, movement to online learning in April and May, a 35 per cent return to in person learning for the June graduation month, and food and economic insecurity for some families, I believe our district students are demonstrating they are strong, resilient and more than capable.”

The Board of Education’s support of Focus. Learn. Excel. professional learning initiatives and the continued commitment to student and adult learning has not only increased during the pandemic but continues to pay off with all students and especially with our more vulnerable students. 

About the Board of Education of School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake):

The Board of Education of School District No. 8 provides educational services to numerous diverse communities in the East & West Kootenays, including Crawford Bay, Creston, Kaslo, Meadow Creek, Nelson, Salmo, Slocan, South Slocan, Winlaw, Wynndel and Yahk. Its dedicated team focuses on providing the best possible educational opportunities for over 5,400 students and their families. Its mission is to focus on excellence for all learners in a nurturing environment.

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