District reports record graduation rate, large gains in AP, concurrent and credential participation

District staff presented an academic update to the Wichita Board of Education on Sept. 8 that emphasized rising graduation rates and expanding college- and career-readiness opportunities, including dramatic increases in AP enrollment, concurrent and dual credit, industry credentials and work-readiness testing.

The nut of it: Administration said the district's on-time graduation rate for the class of 2024 is 84.3% (the highest in district history) while the state recorded 89.5% for the same class. Staff reported measurable gains for multiple student groups and described an array of postsecondary pathways intended to increase students' opportunities after high school.

Major findings presented by district staff included: - Graduation and subgroup gains: The district's class of 2024 graduation rate was reported at 84.3%; staff noted historic highs for several subgroups (for example, students eligible for free lunch and students with disabilities showed substantial multi-year increases). The district's stated goal is to reach 85% overall. - AP and AP exam outcomes: Over four years the district reported a 26.2% increase in unique students enrolled in AP courses and a 47.4% increase in total AP-course enrollments; AP-exam pass rates (score of 3 or higher) also rose and the number of exams scoring 3+ increased substantially. - Concurrent and dual credit growth: Staff reported a 243.9% increase in students taking concurrent or dual-credit classes in three years and a 258.9% increase in college credit hours earned across the district in that time frame. The number of students earning nine or more college hours in a single year rose from about 80 to 305. - WorkKeys and credentials: The district expanded use of the ACT WorkKeys workplace readiness assessment and reported large increases in test takers and students earning silver-or-better results. Industry-recognized credentials earned by students rose by roughly 96.5% over four years, staff said.

Presenters framed the increases as the result of intentional, system-level steps: the district created a dedicated ACT testing day for juniors, increased communication about postsecondary options, adopted a weighted GPA to encourage enrollment in higher-level courses, and expanded supports for concurrent/dual credit and career-technical education pathways.

Staff cautioned about interpreting state assessment scores across years: the state is changing cut scores and test designs, and staff said 2025 scores will function as a new baseline. They pointed to other measures (ACT, AP, college credit, credentials, graduation) as complementary indicators of student readiness.

Board members and administrators also discussed building-level conditions that affect instruction, including persistent air-conditioning problems raised by teachers and union representatives; staff said facilities work and building needs remain part of budget and operations planning.

What the board will get next: Staff said updates will return to the board as new state cut-score guidance becomes available (staff expected additional information in October or November) and that the district will continue to track multiple indicators rather than a single test score.