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District presents college and career readiness update: graduation dips, AP and internship participation rising
Summary
Superintendent and staff presented data showing a recent dip in the four‑year graduation rate after a prior rise, alongside increases in advanced coursework participation, AP exam scores, FAFSA completion, and work‑based learning and pathway development.
District staff presented a college and career readiness update to the School Committee on Sept. 18 that combined student outcome data with programmatic developments. Pam Matheson and Dr. Rose Boulet highlighted a rise in the district’s four‑year graduation rate through 2022 to 85 percent, followed by a decline between 2022 and 2024 that amounted to 55 fewer graduates in the most recent year. "In 2022, we're at 85 percent," Pam Matheson said, and staff acknowledged the dip since then.
Staff also reported a 171‑student increase in 11th‑ and 12th‑grade participation in advanced coursework in 2024 and steady growth in AP exam performance and unique test takers between 2021 and 2025. Matheson summarized the AP trend: more students are taking AP classes and a larger share are scoring 3 to 5 on AP exams. The district reported a rise in FAFSA completion among June graduates (64 percent this year), a 20 percentage‑point increase compared with prior years for the June cohort, and noted that the FAFSA figure excludes summer graduates.
Paul Madison and the school‑to‑career staff reported program growth in work‑based learning and internships: the district’s career and internship fair has increased both student participation and employer presence, and staff aim to expand the spring event to about 550 students and additional vendors. The district reported a 21 percent increase in work‑based learning placements and described new micro‑internship projects and a partnership with MassHire to develop a comprehensive allied healthcare pathway in three schools. "We've increased the number of students participating as well as the number of employers and organizations that are coming to our event," a career‑pathways staff member said.
Staff also announced a new Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) designation for a manufacturing pathway at Central High School and said they have enrolled approximately 100 students in an introductory engineering elective expected to feed the pathway program. District leaders framed these developments as steps to expand options for both college and career pathways and said CSOs and school staff are working to address the recent graduation decline.
Discussion versus action: The presentation was informational; no committee votes were recorded to change programming or allocate funds during the meeting. Committee members asked clarifying questions about percentages and cohort sizes; staff explained percentage changes can reflect differing class sizes year to year.
What comes next: Staff said they will continue monitoring graduation outcomes and work‑based learning participation, plan a larger career fair in March 2026, and pursue pathway partnerships with industry and higher‑education partners; the presentation did not include immediate budget requests or binding commitments recorded in the meeting.
