Results show Colorado students continuing to make progress with the four-year graduation rate improving by 1.1% points to 84.2% – the state’s highest in more than a decade. Student drop-out rates are also declining, and the CDE reported that rates decreased by 0.2% points to 1.9% for 2023-24.
Bayfield School District is performing better than the state average in both of those areas with a 4-year graduation rate for 2023-24 of 88.1% and a dropout rate of only 1.1% for the same period. The graduation rate is down slightly from the 92% rate reported for 2022-23 but still significantly higher than the 78.3% graduation rate logged in 2021-22 school year.
“In a district our size, data can be tricky because a difference of one or two students can shift your results noticeably,” BSD Assistant Superintendent Bill Hesford said. “At the same time, we are encouraged by these numbers because they reinforce the effectiveness of our Continuous Improvement initiative and the other things we are doing in our schools to keep kids engaged.”
According to the department, a total of 58,318 Colorado students graduated in four years in the 2023-24 school year, an increase of 1,506 compared to the prior year. The press release also stated that statewide, 66% of school districts and BOCES improved or stayed the same in their four-year graduation rates.
Officials with the state department pointed out that Colorado students can take up to seven years to graduate high school and the five- and six-year graduation rates also improved this year, showing progress for students needing extra time.
“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,” Education Commissioner Susana Córdova said in a press release issued by CDE.
The department also reported that in 2024, Colorado’s dropout rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 1.9%, representing 8,947 dropouts in grades 7-12—a reduction of 718 students compared to 2023.
“This marks a continued decline from the pandemic high of 2.2% in 2021-22. The 2024 rate is nearing the state’s historic low of 1.8%, last achieved in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years,” the release stated.
Parents or other community members who would like more detailed data or wish to learn more about Bayfield School District’s performance may visit the Graduation Dashboard or Dropout Dashboard on the Colorado Department of Education’s website.