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BSD Graduation Rate
by BSDChairMarkSefton, 7/14/2012 10:24:44 AM
Now that the school year has drawn to a close, the Board of Trustees of Brandon School Division would like to share some good news with the eBrandon community.
For years the dedicated employees of Brandon School Division have been working diligently to ensure that every student has the opportunity to reach his or her potential and graduate from high school.
At the July 9 regular meeting of the Board of Trustees, we received the updated information regarding the 2011-2012 graduation rate. Our June 2012 graduation rate is 96.4%
To our graduates and their families we offer our heartiest congratulations. Your diligence and commitment have enabled you to use your diploma as a springboard to a productive future.
This is an exceptional achievement and all staff had a role to play in its attainment. The appreciation for this belongs to far more than the Grade 12 teachers alone. Also playing critical roles in student success are teachers from all levels, the secretary who bandaged a skinned knee, the custodian who helped a student find a missing binder, the EA who worked alongside the students in class, the bus driver who offered a cheerful greeting and the Division Office staff who strived to provide the learning and working environment which promotes success.
It should be noted that the Brandon School Division uses a different methodology than provincial education authorities to calculate the graduation rate.
In Brandon, at the end of September each high school identifies all students who are eligible to graduate in June of that school year. Students are deemed eligible if they require 8 or fewer credits to graduate.
In September 2011 there were 637 students eligible to graduate according to this criteria. In June 2012, 614 of these students received their diplomas.
The respective high schools track the individual students and are aware of the hurdles that each unsuccessful student encountered. With this information the schools can work with the students next year to overcome their obstacles.
The province does not track individual students in their calculation. Instead, they count the number of students entering Grade 9 in a certain year and then compare that to the number of students who graduate four years later. This methodology does not yield useful results for Brandon School Division. In September 2008, there were 583 new student registrations in Grade 9. With 614 students graduating this June, the provincial methodology would indicate that Brandon had a graduation rate of 105.3%.
The provincial graduation rate in June 2011 was 83.5%
The differing methods do point to another success. With 31 more students graduating than the number registered in Grade 9, this indicates that students are returning to school after being out for some time and also refers to the growing number of graduates who are recent immigrants to Canada. Both of these scenarios are success stories.
At this time we also want to acknowledge the hard work of the parents of our graduates. Without support and encouragement at home many students may have fallen short of their goal to graduate this year.
The Board of Trustees of Brandon School Division is very proud of all of our graduates. We wish them every success in their future endeavors.
Mark Sefton
Chair
Board of Trustees
Brandon School Division
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