Shoreline report: 92% graduation but 41% of graduates lack postsecondary credential; special-education outcomes lag

The Shoreline School Board on March 18 received a study-style presentation showing the district’s high school graduation rate remains strong — “about 92 percent,” according to Director of Secondary Academic Programs Dan Gallagher — but that many graduates still leave without a postsecondary credential. The presentation, and a deeper report led by Executive Director of Student Services Trish Rogers, focused on postsecondary outcomes overall and on students served through special education.

Gallagher told the board the district’s 4‑year graduation rate was “about 92 percent,” and that a seven‑year view raises the figure to roughly 94 percent. But he said credential attainment after high school is a separate and pressing challenge: “of our high school graduates… 41% of those students in the upper right, only have a high school diploma,” he said, using the district’s 8‑year follow‑up metric.

The numbers matter because, the presenters said, a high school diploma alone is frequently not enough to access a living‑wage career. Rogers described the district’s state reporting process for former students and the limits of the data collection: Shoreline contracts with the Center for Change and Transition Services at Seattle University to survey students who left the district and gather the indicator‑13 information OSPI requires. Rogers said the survey window runs June through November and that districts must reach about an 80% response rate for the indicator’s highest rating; she noted collecting responses has grown harder as families receive more outreach from other organizations.

Key findings reported to the board:

- Graduation: recent 4‑year rate ~92%; 7‑year rate roughly 94%. - Credential attainment: among district graduates tracked to age 26, about 41% have no credential beyond a high school diploma (a “credential” here ranges from a short certificate through a four‑year degree). - Special education: students served by special education have substantially lower postsecondary credential rates; Rogers said roughly 73% of special‑education leavers who responded did not report a credential. - GPA correlation: Gallagher flagged students who graduate with a GPA under 3.0 as a priority subgroup — “68 percent of high school graduates with a GPA of less than 3 don’t complete a credential,” he said.

How the district is responding

Gallagher and Rogers described a district strategy that pairs course redesign, dual‑credit options and targeted advising to improve postsecondary momentum. A central element is new math pathways and a co‑requisite model with…