Colorado’s high school graduation rate inched up in the last academic year to its highest level in a decade as 84.2% of students received their diplomas on time — but the state still lags behind the national rate, according to new data released Wednesday.
The statewide dropout rate — the number of students who left school before graduating — fell less than a percentage point to 1.9% during the the 2023-24 academic year, according to the Colorado Department of Education. Just under 9,000 seventh-to-12th-graders dropped out of school last year, which is 718 fewer pupils than the previous year.
Still, the graduation rate for most Colorado students of color, multilingual learners, children with disabilities and other groups fell behind the statewide rate.
“While we are seeing promising progress, we are continuing to see our students of color and our students with the highest needs graduating below our statewide rates,” Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova said in a statement. “I am encouraged by the momentum of our state’s multiyear improvements, especially in the gaps that are closing, and we also must do more to keep students engaged in meaningful learning experiences that prepare them for success after graduation.”
As of the 2021-22 academic year, Colorado's high school graduation rate was behind the national average of 87%, the most recent figure available. The state's graduation rate was 82% that same year, according to the
Statewide, 58,318 students graduated within four years of starting high school in the 2023-24 academic year, which is up 1,506 pupils from the previous year. By comparison, 83.1% of high schoolers graduated on time during the 2022-23 academic year.
Colorado students can take up to seven years to graduate high school, and graduation requirements vary by school district, which may meet or exceed the state's guidelines.
The gap between girls and boys graduating within four years narrowed in the past decade to 4.8 percentage points during the 2023-24 academic year. The graduation rate among girls was 86.6% while it was 81.8% among boys last year, data showed.
But the state's graduation rate for Latino and Native American students remained below the statewide average despite increasing last year.
Just over 77% of Latino students and 69.9% of Native American pupils graduated on time during the 2023-24 academic year. And 78.3 % of Black students graduated within four years last year, which was down 0.3 percentage points from the 2022-23 school year, according to the data.
"Black students specifically have... not been treated well and I think that we are working to repair the relational aspects with our students and families," said Simone Wright, chief of academics for Denver Public Schools, which also saw its graduation rate among Black students drop less then a percentage point last year.
Statewide, Asian students had the highest graduation rate at 93.2%, followed by white pupils at 89.1%, according to the education department.
The four-year graduation rate for other groups also lagged the statewide average despite increasing from the 2022-23 academic year.
For example, students with disabilities had a graduation rate of 71.9% — up 2.6 percentage points — and multilingual learners had a graduation rate of 70.7% — an increase of 1.3 percentage points — during the 2023-24 academic year, data showed
"There's still work to be done to keep more students engaged," Córdova said during a media call, adding, "We have gaps that still persist."
The Greeley-Evans School District 6 has added more school activities, such as sports and band, to keep students engaged. This is partly why the district's graduation rate jumped 3.6 percentage points from last year to 87.3%, said Anthony Asmus, assistant superintendent of secondary at the Greeley-Evans School District 6.
When students have a strong sense of belonging, they feel more part of their school, he said.
Denver Public Schools' graduation rate rose from 79% in 2023 to 79.9% last year.
DPS, the state's largest district, has worked to engage students so that they are able to complete the requirements needed for graduation, including by broadening the courses schools offer so that they interest students, said Samantha Haviland, the district's executive director of career and college success.
For example, she said, schools might offer a course on Chicano studies rather than a standard English class for high school students.
"We believe that ensuring students have access to coursework that align with their passions means students are more likely to attend school," Haviland said.
Jeffco Public Schools' graduation rate dropped slightly from 85% in 2023 to 84.6%, the data showed.
Graduation rates can fluctuate a point or two in a district as big as Jeffco, which is the second largest in the state, said Deputy Superintendent Kym LeBlanc-Esparza.
She pointed out that the district's 17 neighborhood high schools — excluding alternative campuses, charter schools and other schools — had a 93% graduation rate. The district also saw an increase in students completing their graduation requirements after four years, LeBlanc-Esparza said, noting that some students struggled academically after remote-learning during the pandemic.
"We have students that have learning needs that are taking a little bit longer to get through," LeBlanc-Esparza said.
