Henrico’s high school dropout rate higher than state average, especially among Hispanic students

Henrico’s high school dropout rate has trended slightly upwards in the past few years, even as Virginia’s dropout rate has trended slightly downwards as a whole, according to a presentation given during an Oct. 13 Henrico School Board work session.

The Henrico County high school dropout rate increased from 5.3% in 2018 to 7.5% in 2022, according to the presentation, whereas the state’s rate has gone from 5.5% to 5.2% during that same time.

Hispanic/Latino and English Language Learner students are overrepresented among the county’s dropouts and underrepresented among high school graduates, according to the presentation given by Research, Assessment and Evaluation Director Tiffany Hinton.

Students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students also are more likely to drop out, though the county has made an improvement in the rate of dropouts among economically disadvantaged students, from 2.13 in the school system’s “equity index” in 2018-19 to 1.64 in 2021-22. The index uses a baseline of 1, with scores higher than that indicating overrepresentation among dropouts and those below it representing underrepresentation.

As part of HCPSs Destination 2025 plan, school officials are researching the causes of high school dropouts and implementing strategies to decrease the dropout rate.

Research found that the ninth grade year is a “make or break'' year in terms of whether or not a student will drop out of high school. Students who fail ninth grade classes, especially English or Physical Education, are more likely to drop out later.

“One of the things that the research is really clear on is that the ninth grade year has to be a really supportive experience,” said Anne Marie Seely, director of school quality for the school system. “That transition from middle school to high school can be a really hard experience – the training wheels go away.”

This year’s ninth grade class is made up of students who have had to adapt to in-person schooling after spending much of middle school online, which makes the transition even more drastic.

“This ninth-grade class is unlike any other ninth-grade class, because the ones who missed eighth grade – their maturity level is not where it would be if they had that transitional assistance,” said Fairfield District representative Roscoe Cooper.

Students who participate in some of Henrico’s already existing programs have higher-than-average graduation rates, according to data.

Graduation rates of CTE (Career and Technical Education) completers are higher than the general high school graduation rates and have been trending upwards. Almost all students –99.88% – who complete CTE end up graduating high school on time.

According to Mac Beaton, director of the school system’s career and workforce development program, only two CTE students did not graduate high school on time last year, out of a class of 1,622. He attributes the success of CTE students to the approach to education that they are taught.

“The hands-on approach [of CTE] leads to problem-solving skills,” Beaton said. “In CTE, when students get the wrong answer, they start over. The right answer is important, but the process is the goal of instruction.”

There is also a “Newcomer Program” at J.R. Tucker High School for students who have had an interrupted formal education, or who know little English. This program was highlighted in the presentation as a form of support for ESL students.

The school board will further analyze the causes of drop outs at a meeting in November.

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Anya Sczerzenie is the Henrico Citizen’s education reporter and a Report for America corps member. Make a tax-deductible donation to support her work, and RFA will match it dollar for dollar. Sign up here for her free weekly education newsletter.