Manatee graduation rate rises to 85.7%; district outlines credit-recovery, schedule pilots to sustain gains

The School Board of Manatee County heard on Jan. 21 that the district'wide graduation rate for the Class of 2024 rose to 85.7%, up from 82.3% the previous year.

Superintendent Doctor Weisong and district staff told the board the increase was confirmed by the Florida Department of Education's Jan. 9 data release and reflected work at both district and school levels to identify students at risk and expand nontraditional pathways to a standard diploma.

District presenters said the figure covers students who earned a standard diploma within four years of entering 9th grade; it does not include students who pursue GEDs or other nonstandard credentials. Staff emphasized how transfers, student mobility and students with disabilities affect cohort counts and the headline rate. The district has the state subgroup breakdowns and said it will provide more detailed subgroup data on request.

The presentation, led by district leaders who have coordinated the graduation-rate work, credited several changes for the improvement: clearer, consistent school-level expectations; data-driven, student-by-student tracking of credits and attendance; expanded credit-recovery opportunities; targeted professional learning for teachers who work with students with disabilities and English-language learners; and pilots of extended-day and alternative scheduling at some schools.

Ginger Collins, principal at Southeast High School, said the school'level message has been consistent across staff that every student will graduate even if the pathway differs. "The pathway may be different, but the diploma is the same," Collins said, describing regular outreach and individualized plans for seniors who were credit deficient.

District staff described the pilot at Bayshore High School, launched in the second quarter of the school year, where students can attend additional class periods or receive instructional time in later periods or after the traditional day. Staff said the Bayshore model lets counselors and principals assemble a 'menu' of options so each credit-deficient student receives the combination of classroom time, remediation and extended-period instruction needed to recover credits.

Lisa Lyon, interim director for student services, said the district has shifted from focusing only on seniors to monitoring all four cohort years continuously, and that the district now tracks freshmen GPA and intervenes early to reduce senior-year remediation needs. Staff also said they are using the Xello college-and-career platform and Branching Minds in the MTSS process to target instruction and supports.

Presenters noted technical and reporting details: students with an Individualized Education Program may remain enrolled until the school year in which they turn 22; the state reports multiple diploma types but the published 85.7% figure tracks students who earned a standard diploma within the cohort window; and transfers into and out of Manatee County schools are removed or added to cohort counts when official enrollment is recorded.

The board asked for further breakdowns that staff said are available: the number of graduates with ESE designations, how many non-graduates had recently enrolled from other districts, and student-level lists principals use to track seniors. Staff agreed to provide that detail in follow-up materials.

District leaders said they will continue monthly data monitoring with principals and use a mixture of school-based advocates (counselors, social workers and graduation coaches), expanded credit-recovery offerings and flexible scheduling to try to sustain and increase the rate.

Staff asked the board to treat the number as a step in ongoing work rather than a final outcome: the district said it will keep reporting progress and will return with updated cohort and subgroup breakdowns.

Ending: The district framed the increase as the result of coordinated school and district effort; staff said they will continue to refine interventions, expand options for credit recovery and monitor progress for the next graduating cohort.