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South Saint Paul presents state accountability data; attendance improving, graduation rate falls to 70.6% (2024 data)
Summary
District staff briefed the board on state accountability measures: attendance (based on 2022–23 data) is trending up, but the district’s 2024 graduation rate was reported at 70.6%. Staff highlighted English learners as a subgroup needing targeted supports and outlined interventions including progress monitoring, grading practice changes and MTSS expansions.
At the Sept. 22 meeting the South Saint Paul School Board received a high‑level district presentation on state accountability measures, including attendance, graduation rates and Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs).
Jennifer Danielson and district staff cautioned that much of the data is lagged: attendance slides referenced the 2022–23 school year and graduation and MCA figures reflected 2024 reporting. Staff said consistent attendance (students in attendance 90% or more of days) has improved in the district and that the district’s rate of improvement exceeded statewide trends in recent years.
On graduation, staff reported a 2024 districtwide rate of 70.6 percent and said the district is developing targeted strategies to raise completion rates. District presenters flagged English learners as a subgroup with disproportionally low graduation outcomes and described several actions: earlier identification of credit‑deficient students, more frequent grade reviews at the high school (every six weeks), rapid responses to course failure, interventions at their CLC (alternative program), more equitable grading practices, and co‑teaching models to bolster services for EL students.
Regarding MCAs, staff described upward trends in district reading and math scores compared with recent years and said new curriculum adoptions (including UFLI foundational literacy and Functional Morphology) and professional learning communities are part of the district’s multi‑pronged improvement strategy. The district noted it will present more detailed, site‑level, and subgroup disaggregations at a future meeting.
Board members asked clarifying questions about whether English learners are choosing not to graduate and about differences tied to how long students have been in the country; staff said barriers are often structural and that some students who arrive at older ages face credit‑related challenges. The board expressed appreciation for the district’s system‑level approach to supporting students.
