Taft Charter High School’s dropout rate in the 2018-19 school year increased by 15.2% compared to the previous school year’s dropout rate of 6.6%, 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 | 2017-18 Drop-out rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millennium High Alternative | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | Piedmont High School | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | Amador County Special Education | 0 | — | |
| 1 | Biggs High School | 0 | 6.5 | |
| 1 | Durham High School | 0 | 1.2 | |
| 1 | Maxwell Sr High School | 0 | 3.4 | |
| 1 | Pierce High School | 0 | 1 | |
| 1 | Mid Valley High School (Continuation) | 0 | 11.8 | |
| 1 | Miramonte High School | 0 | 0.7 | |
| 1 | Middle College High School | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | California High School | 0 | 0.2 | |
| 1 | Monte Vista High School | 0 | 0.5 | |
| 1 | Kingsburg High School | 0 | 0.8 | |
| 1 | Parlier High School | 0 | 1.5 | |
| 1 | Sierra High School | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | Hamilton High School | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | Princeton Junior-Senior High School | 0 | — | |
| 1 | McKinleyville High School | 0 | 4.7 | |
| 1 | Hoopa Valley High School | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | South Fork Junior – Senior High School | 0 | 2.7 | |
| 1 | Ferndale High School | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | Big Pine High School | 0 | — | |
| 1 | Bishop Union High School | 0 | 1.5 | |
| 1 | Boron Junior-Senior High School | 0 | 2.4 | |
| 1 | Desert Junior-Senior High School | 0 | 0 | |
| … | ||||
| 1187 | Sherman Thomas Charter High School | 7.1 | 5.6 | |
| 1187 | Rancho Dominguez Preparatory | 7.1 | 4.2 | |
| 1187 | Luis Valdez Leadership Academy | 7.1 | — | |
| 1187 | Credo High School | 7.1 | 0 | |
| 1187 | Placer County Pathways Charter | 7.1 | 42.9 | |
| 1202 | South Pasadena Senior High School | 7.2 | 3.3 | |
| 1202 | Highlands High School | 7.2 | 8.6 | |
| 1202 | Santa Rosa High School | 7.2 | 5.8 | |
| 1202 | Colony High School | 7.2 | 5 | |
| 1202 | Murrieta Canyon Academy | 7.2 | 4.8 | |
| 1202 | Encore High School for the Arts – Riverside | 7.2 | — | |
| 1208 | Village High School | 7.3 | 19.6 | |
| 1208 | Wilson High School | 7.3 | 7 | |
| 1208 | Novato High School | 7.3 | 2.1 | |
| 1208 | Watsonville High School | 7.3 | 8.1 | |
| 1212 | University High School Charter | 7.4 | 4 | |
| 1212 | El Capitan High School | 7.4 | 9.3 | |
| 1212 | Monte Vista High School | 7.4 | 0.5 | |
| 1212 | Village Oaks High School | 7.4 | 6.3 | |
| 1212 | Ronald Reagan Academy | 7.4 | 5.5 | |
| 1217 | C. K. McClatchy High School | 7.5 | 7.2 | |
| 1217 | Summit Public School: Tahoma | 7.5 | 10.3 | |
| 1217 | TEACH Tech Charter High School | 7.5 | 13.6 | |
| 1217 | Design Tech High School | 7.5 | — | |
| 1217 | Chawanakee Academy Charter | 7.5 | 17.4 | |
| 1222 | Taft Charter High School | 7.6 | 6.6 | |
| 1222 | Salisbury High School (Continuation) | 7.6 | 5 | |
| 1224 | Round Valley Continuation | 7.7 | 27.3 | |
| 1224 | Coleville High School | 7.7 | 15.8 | |
| 1224 | West Shores High School | 7.7 | 10.3 | |
| 1224 | Borrego Springs High School | 7.7 | 6.9 | |
| 1224 | Warner Junior/Senior High School | 7.7 | 0 | |
| 1224 | Baden High School (Continuation) | 7.7 | 12.5 | |
| 1224 | Delta High School | 7.7 | 5.4 | |
| 1224 | Core Learning Academy at Conley-Caraballo High School | 7.7 | 17.6 | |
| 1224 | Social Justice Leadership Academy at Esteban E. Torres High No. 5 | 7.7 | 11 | |
| 1224 | Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana | 7.7 | 0 | |
| 1224 | ARISE High School | 7.7 | 10 | |
| 1235 | John Swett High School | 7.8 | 4.1 | |
| 1235 | El Cerrito High School | 7.8 | 8.2 | |
| 1235 | McLane High School | 7.8 | 8.6 | |
| 1235 | King City High School | 7.8 | 4.6 | |
| 1235 | Delta Charter | 7.8 | 15.4 | |
| 1235 | Audeo Charter II | 7.8 | 10.5 | |
| 1241 | Verdugo Academy | 7.9 | 6.7 | |
| 1241 | Perris High School | 7.9 | 5.8 | |
| 1241 | Pacific High School | 7.9 | 8.7 | |
| 1241 | Lodi High School | 7.9 | 4.3 | |
| 1245 | Coalinga High School | 8 | 7.8 | |
| 1245 | Valley High School | 8 | 10.9 | |
| 1245 | Colton High School | 8 | 5.1 | |
| … | ||||
| 2150 | Santa Cruz County Court | 74.3 | 36.6 | |
| 2151 | S.F. County Special Education | 75 | — | |
| 2152 | San Diego County Court | 75.3 | 78.3 | |
| 2153 | San Bernardino County Juvenile Detention and Assessment Center | 75.7 | 68.9 | |
| 2154 | Highlands Community Charter | 76.2 | 60.9 | |
| 2155 | Solano County Community | 76.5 | 78.9 | |
| 2156 | MethodSchools | 77.8 | 45.8 | |
| 2157 | Center for Alternative Learning | 78.9 | 78.9 | |
| 2158 | Gateway College and Career Academy | 81.6 | 40.4 | |
| 2159 | Clovis Community Day Secondary School | 83.3 | — | |
| 2160 | Sonoma County Court | 84.6 | 67.6 | |
| 2161 | EPIC de Cesar Chavez | 85.3 | 63.5 | |
| 2162 | Dan Jacobs | 86.7 | — | |
| 2162 | Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter | 86.7 | — | |
| 2164 | SIATech Academy South | 87.7 | 55.2 | |
| 2165 | Sonoma County Alternative Education Programs | 88.9 | 36.4 | |
| 2166 | Opportunity Youth Academy | 89.1 | 42.6 | |
| 2167 | Hart-Ransom Academic Charter | 89.5 | 4.5 | |
| 2168 | Escuela Popular/Center for Training and Careers Family Learning | 90.1 | 90.1 | |
| 2168 | Santa Clara County Special Education | 90.1 | 20.3 | |
| 2170 | Siskiyou County Special Education | 90.9 | — | |
| 2170 | Oroville High Community Day | 90.9 | 90.9 | |
| 2172 | Family First Charter | 92.7 | 71.6 | |
| 2173 | Civicorps Corpsmember Academy | 93.3 | 31.8 | |
| 2174 | New Opportunities Charter | 96.5 | 93.8 | |
