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District reports rising graduation rates and CTE gains; alternative and CTE concentrators show strong outcomes
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Summary
ISD 191 staff told the board graduation rates rose across sites and highlighted Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways as having above-average graduation outcomes; the district cited Perkins and private grants supporting equipment and pathway relaunch work.
District leaders presented a Student Performance and Achievement update focused on graduation cohort trends and career-technical pathways at the April 23 board meeting. Amina Aftedal (Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment) reported multi-year improvements in 4-, 5- and 6-year graduation rates across district sites and said the class of 2025 posted gains for several demographic groups.
At Burnsville High School the four-year graduation rate rose from the previous year; Aftedal noted the class of 2025 was the first to experience four uninterrupted years of high school without pandemic-related hybrid learning or closures, a factor that helped stable outcomes. She also highlighted cohort-level gains for Hispanic and Latino students and noted small-group variability for Native/Indigenous students due to small sample sizes.
Matt Deutsch, a career and technical education teacher, described the district’s CTE 'pathways' model. He said 41 members of the class of 2025 earned an associate of arts degree through on-campus options and that CTE concentrators graduated at an above-average rate (the class of 2024 showed an 85 percent rate for concentrators and a 91 percent four-year graduation rate for concentrators in cited analyses). Deutsch emphasized industry-recognized certifications: students earned OSHA 10 at a 100 percent success rate and high success on ServSafe certifications (about 90% for ServSafe food handler, 82% for the allergen certification).
Deutsch said Perkins grant funds—managed by a regional consortium—contribute roughly $100,000 to the school for industry-standard equipment and simulations, listing items purchased this year (robotic arm, childhood stages simulator, embroidery machines, dough sheeter) and linking equipment investments to hands-on learning that boosts student engagement and postgraduation outcomes. He also noted two relaunch grants: a $10,000 Greater Twin Cities United Way award and a $20,000 grant from Bosch for pathways relaunch work.
Board members asked about comparisons for alternative programs and how to increase access to rigorous ninth-grade coursework and AP/exam participation. Staff said they would follow up with requested data, including AP exam take-rates and specifics on how concentrator status contributes to graduation outcomes.
