Merced Times

Valley Merced Community's dropout rate in the 2018-19 school year increased by 14.5% compared to the previous school year’s dropout rate of 36.6%, 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
…
2022	Grossmont Middle College High School	39.5	5
2022	El Puente	39.5	26
2022	eCademy Charter at Crane	39.5	11.3
2026	Rare Earth High School (Continuation)	40	25
2026	Zane Grey Continuation	40	39
2026	Mendocino County Community	40	56.3
2026	Future Bound Independent Study Secondary School	40	24
2026	OUSD Community Day	40	--
2026	Jack London Community Day	40	35.7
2032	Puente Hills High School	40.4	26.9
2033	Kern County Juvenile Court	40.5	54.3
2033	Monterey Continuation	40.5	31.9
2033	McClellan High School (Continuation)	40.5	27.5
2033	Gateway to College at Laney College	40.5	27.5
2037	Robert Elliott Alternative Education Center	40.7	32.1
2038	La Vista Center	40.9	46.7
2038	Crescent View West Public Charter	40.9	45.1
2040	Urban Corps of San Diego County Charter	41.1	49
2041	Mountain View High School (Continuation)	41.2	14.3
2041	Maine Prairie High School (Continuation)	41.2	51.2
2043	Renaissance High Continuation	41.5	28.7
2044	Educational Training Center	41.7	18.2
2044	Alta Vista Academy	41.7	--
2046	Amelia Earhart Continuation	41.8	29.5
2047	Costanoa Continuation High School	41.9	21.6
2047	Valley Merced Community	41.9	36.6
2049	Options for Youth-San Juan	42	38
2049	Elinor Lincoln Hickey Jr./Sr. High School	42	33.3
2049	The Education Corps	42	36.4
2052	California Connections Academy@Central	42.1	25
2053	San Antonio Continuation	42.2	18.3
2054	Ocean Shores High School (Continuation)	42.3	35.7
2054	Renaissance County Community	42.3	43.3
2054	Options for Youth-San Bernardino	42.3	34.6
2057	San Joaquin County Community	42.7	43.6
2058	Monroe High School (Continuation)	42.9	45.5
2058	Whitman Continuation	42.9	32.4
2058	Providence	42.9	59.1
2058	High Desert Premier Academy	42.9	16
2062	Berkeley Technology Academy	43.2	45.2
2063	Metropolitan Continuation	43.6	35
2064	Sierra High School (Continuation)	43.8	34.3
2064	S.F. County Civic Center Secondary School	43.8	45.7
2066	Madrone High Continuation	44.2	32.6
2067	Shasta County Independent Study Charter	44.3	48.8
2068	Chesnut High School (Continuation)	44.4	58.8
2068	Mountain High School	44.4	23.3
2068	S.F. County Court Woodside Learning Ctr	44.4	31
2071	YouthBuild Charter School of California	44.7	50.6
2072	Eel River Community	44.8	33.3
2072	Stanislaus County Institute of Learning	44.8	62.2
…
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