January, 2012 / Perspectives Index Graduation indicators trending in the right direction Student leaders were honoured at last year's Celebration of Achievement At the last Board meeting of the year, on December 13, 2011, I presented the District's Graduation Rates for the 10 years leading up to 2010-2011. I am pleased to say those results are very encouraging and, as we head into the New Year, represent achievements we as a district can build on. Langley's Graduation Rates are up in almost every category and we are exceeding provincial averages by a very significant margin. That is a good-news story about achievement and learning in Langley. The Six Year Dogwood Completion Rate for Langley School District stands at 84%, compared to 81% for the province. That is up from 77% ten years ago. The grad rate for female students is 87.6%, which is 4.2% higher than the provincial average. Male students are graduating at a rate of 80.2%, which is 1.5% higher than the provincial average. Students of aboriginal ancestry are graduating at a rate of 62%, which indicates continued support is needed for that population. However, Langley's grad rate for aboriginal students is 8.5% higher than the provincial average and 11.1% higher than it was in the 2006-2007 school year. That is indeed something for us to build on as we move forward. These are not isolated figures. The data shows a trend of improving grad rates, with Langley's figures above the provincial average for the last three years. It is our goal to keep that trend line heading up, and the district will continue to work toward higher targets. We believe we can do even better. A question we can realistically ask: Is a 90% Graduation Rate the next number to look at? Improving the Graduation Rate has been and will remain a key goal in the district's Strategic Plan. I would say that over time the results of all the hard work put in by many, many people in our district are paying off. Let's continue in that direction, not only with Graduation Rates, but with all the key education indicators in Langley School District. Let's make 2012 another chapter of progress to celebrate in Langley as we contemplate our achievements and directions a year from now. See Presentation to the Board on Graduation Rates