Kern County Times

Independence High School's dropout rate in the 2019-20 school year decreased by 33.3% compared to the previous school year’s dropout rate of 2.4%, according to the California Department of Education (CDE).

CDE data of graduation and dropout rates confirms there is a growing achievement gap between Latino, Black, and English learner students. The achievement gap refers to the disparities in academic performance associated with race and class.

According to data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2018, of the 48 states where data was collected, Black males remain at the bottom of four-year high school graduation rates.

Closing the achievement gap earlier in the schooling process, such as during elementary school, can improve high school graduation rates and decrease dropout rates. Individually tailored student support is one way that is proposed to accomplish this.

In The Long-Term Impact of Systemic Student Support in Elementary School: Reducing High School Dropout, Terrence J. Lee-St. John, a Biostatistician at the Research Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, says, “Students often fail to complete high school for complex reasons that often manifest long before they reach high school. Individually tailored student support during elementary school can lead to lasting and meaningful effects.”

Ranking	School	Drop-out rate	2018-19 Drop-out rate
1	Millennium High Alternative	0	0
1	Piedmont High School	0	0
1	Emery Secondary School	0	2.7
1	Amador County Special Education	0	0
1	Durham High School	0	0
1	Mid Valley High School (Continuation)	0	0
1	Williams Junior/Senior High School	0	3.4
1	Freedom High School	0	1.4
1	Middle College High School	0	0
1	Golden Sierra Junior Senior High School	0	2.5
1	Kingsburg High School	0	0
1	Oasis Continuation High School	0	--
1	Princeton Junior-Senior High School	0	0
1	Ferndale High School	0	0
1	Desert Junior-Senior High School	0	0
1	Frazier Mountain High School	0	3.8
1	Earl F. Johnson High School (Continuation)	0	1.7
1	Whitney (Gretchen) High School	0	0
1	Mayfair High School	0	1.2
1	South Hills High School	0	0
1	Arena High School (Continuation)	0	11.1
1	El Segundo High School	0	0
1	Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School	0	0
1	La Canada High School	0	0.6
1	Lake Balboa College Preparatory Magnet K-12	0	0
…
433	Valencia High School	1.5	0.5
433	Don Antonio Lugo High School	1.5	3.6
433	Clairemont High School	1.5	2.4
433	La Jolla High School	1.5	0.6
433	Capuchino High School	1.5	3
433	Lynbrook High School	1.5	0
433	Delta Charter	1.5	7.8
433	Otay Ranch Senior High School	1.5	1.7
433	Edgewood High School	1.5	0.5
433	International Polytechnic High School	1.5	2.1
433	ARISE High School	1.5	7.7
452	College Park High School	1.6	1.5
452	El Rancho High School	1.6	1.8
452	Canyon High School	1.6	0.8
452	Tamalpais High School	1.6	1.7
452	Gonzales High School	1.6	1
452	Bear River High School	1.6	3
452	Capistrano Valley High School	1.6	1.8
452	Torrey Pines High School	1.6	1
452	Manteca High School	1.6	3.1
452	LIFE Academy	1.6	4.4
452	Arnold O. Beckman High School	1.6	0.7
452	Monterey Trail High School	1.6	1.4
452	Animo Pat Brown	1.6	2.7
452	Madera South High School	1.6	3
452	Independence High School	1.6	19.1
452	Ceiba College Preparatory Academy	1.6	4.7
452	Gompers Preparatory Academy	1.6	0
469	Albany High School	1.7	2.8
469	Liberty High School	1.7	1.1
469	Delano High School	1.7	3.1
469	Liberty High School	1.7	1.1
469	Culver City High School	1.7	2.9
469	John F. Kennedy High School	1.7	2.4
469	La Mirada High School	1.7	0.7
469	William S. Hart High School	1.7	1.5
469	Los Banos High School	1.7	2.3
469	Buena Park High School	1.7	2.7
469	Pacifica High School	1.7	5.9
469	El Camino Real Continuation High School	1.7	15.4
469	Norco High School	1.7	1.9
469	Center High School	1.7	2.5
469	Mt. Carmel High School	1.7	0
469	San Luis Obispo High School	1.7	0.6
469	Piedmont Hills High School	1.7	2.5
469	Elise P. Buckingham Charter Magnet High School	1.7	2.9
469	Patterson High School	1.7	2.5
469	Central Valley High School	1.7	1.6
469	Tahquitz High School	1.7	2.5
469	School of Engineering & Sciences	1.7	2
469	Academy of Careers and Exploration	1.7	3.8
…
2167	Oroville High Community Day	81.8	90.9
2169	Gould Educational Center	82.4	17.2
2170	Come Back Charter	83.7	--
2171	Gateway High School (Continuation)	84.6	36.4
2172	Tulare County Court	85.7	54.1
2173	Dan Jacobs	88.9	86.7
2174	Matrix for Success Academy	89.6	--
2175	Violet Heintz Education Academy	90	66.7
2175	EPIC de Cesar Chavez	90	85.3
2177	Escuela Popular/Center for Training and Careers Family Learning	90.2	90.1
2178	Independence Charter Academy	90.3	6.3
2179	Five Keys Adult School (SF Sheriff's)	91.4	73.8
2180	Highlands Community Charter	91.6	76.2
2181	S.F. County Special Education	91.7	75
2182	SIATech Academy South	92.1	87.7
2183	Five Keys Independence HS (SF Sheriff's)	92.4	24.8
2184	Clear Passage Educational Center	92.9	--
2185	Boron Junior-Senior High School	93.2	0
2186	Laytonville High School	93.8	3.2
2187	Five Keys Charter (SF Sheriff's)	95.5	63.3
2188	San Bernardino County Special Education	96.1	47.4
2189	Shasta County Independent Study Charter	97.3	44.3
2190	Family First Charter	98	92.7
2191	New Opportunities Charter	98.2	96.5
2192	Special Education	98.6	--