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District review of post‑secondary outcomes shows high enrollment during high school, recommends better tracking and 2‑year supports
Summary
Director Jennifer Gimmer presented National Student Clearinghouse data and district surveys showing that most Holmen graduates enroll in post‑secondary education during or soon after high school; she recommended improved data systems and more support for 2‑year pathways and students with disabilities.
Director of Safety and Student Services Jennifer Gimmer presented the district’s postgraduate outcomes analysis, drawing on National Student Clearinghouse data and a district graduation survey, and recommended steps to improve transition supports and data alignment.
Gimmer told the board the district has a high rate of students who earn post‑secondary credit while in high school and that most graduates who enroll after high school remain in state. She emphasized the need to strengthen supports for two‑year college pathways and to improve data collection for special‑education and multilingual (ML) subgroups.
Using National Student Clearinghouse data for the 2022–23 graduating class, Gimmer reported that about 60% of graduates enrolled in post‑secondary education within the first year. She noted that, of 294 students in that cohort, 283 had at least one post‑secondary enrollment either during high school or after graduation. For the 2023–24 cohort, she reported a 56% first‑year enrollment rate and said 289 of 300 students had at least one post‑secondary enrollment during or after high school.
Gimmer said the data show an increasing share of students entering two‑year public and technical-college pathways in 2023–24 compared with prior years. She cautioned that subgroup sample sizes are small: the district survey had many “left blank” or “no response” entries, and National Student Clearinghouse reporting does not disaggregate certain subgroup indicators (for example, students with disabilities and ML status). “Both sample sizes are very small, so use that for a caution,” she said.
On retention and persistence, Gimmer reported roughly 85% retention or transfer rates for cohorts she examined (2021–22 and 2022–23), with slightly lower persistence among students who began in two‑year programs. For completion, she said Holmen’s five‑year college completion rate is about 43%, with roughly 28% earning a bachelor’s degree or higher at that five‑year mark; earlier cohorts show smaller percentages already classified as completers.
Gimmer recommended several next steps: strengthen transition planning and supports for students with individualized education programs (IEPs), expand partnerships and work‑based learning with local technical colleges and employers, and improve data‑tracking systems so that the district’s graduation survey and Indicator 14 reporting are better aligned.
Board members asked one clarifying question about peer‑district comparisons; Gimmer said National Student Clearinghouse provides national comparisons but does not produce direct peer‑district comparisons in the data she used. The presentation was informational; no formal board action was taken.
