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Los Angeles Unified Graduation Rate Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Levels (12-14-23)
Record number of students graduate college ready
Los Angeles, CA (Dec. 14, 2023) – Los Angeles Unified has exceeded pre-pandemic graduation rate levels in the most recent data. The District’s 2022-23 four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate is 84.0%, which represents a 4.9% increase since 2018-19 (79.1%). More students are completing their requirements for graduation and are now headed to college or into a career.
“The work we are doing to transform Los Angeles Unified into the premier urban district in the nation is being demonstrated in the remarkable stories of our students overcoming adversity, dedicating themselves to their school work and graduating ready to change the world,” Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “Our students and families have confronted remarkable challenges since the pandemic, but this is the latest signpost validating the progress we are making as a District.”
Los Angeles Unified is also graduating a record number of students who met all UC/CSU A-G requirements. The percentage of the four-year cohort that met all UC/CSU requirements is 53.0%, which represents an increase of 2.5 percentage points from the 2021-22 school year (50.5%) and 4.9 percentage points since 2020-21 (48.1%). Increases in UC/CSU requirement completion were consistent across all targeted student groups including students with Asian, Filipino, Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander, White, students with disabilities, English learners and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
The graduation rate for 2021-22 benefited from a technical inflation as the State provided an interim graduation exemption to public and charter schools across the state due to the pandemic. Even with this exemption removed, the District remains above pre-pandemic levels and on an upward trajectory of annually graduating more students.
“Congratulations to all of our students who graduated this year,” Board President Jackie Goldberg said. “Our students and their families have worked so hard to make it this far, persevering through the disruption and trauma caused by the pandemic. I want to thank our school teachers and classified staff for their hard work, and to recognize the efforts of the Superintendent and District staff in turning our graduation rates around.”
“I am delighted to see that graduation rates have exceeded the levels we had before the COVID-19 pandemic,” Board Vice President Scott M. Schmerelson said. “This is due to the tireless efforts of our students, staff and families who have endeavored to better their academic goals despite facing many challenges these last few years. Congratulations to all who helped make this possible.”
“I am pleased that we continue increasing the number of students graduating in the District,” Board Member Dr. George J. McKenna III said. “More importantly, we are graduating more students who are prepared and able to move into college or career.”
“Our teachers and staff are doing an amazing job working to help our students recover from the impact of the pandemic,” Board Member Dr. Rocío Rivas said. “It's vitally important that we continue to dedicate resources to bridge equity gaps and insure a bright future for all of our students.”
“I’m encouraged by and celebrate our graduation rate, as we know how critical it is for students to leave high school with a diploma,” Board Member Nick Melvoin said. “And I look forward to the ongoing work to close equity gaps and make sure all of our students are not just graduating, but ready for college and career in their future pursuits.”
“As Los Angeles Unified continues its efforts to support students post-pandemic, I'm heartened to see progress in ensuring more students are reaching the graduation stage and even more excited to know that they are graduating prepared for success in college and careers,” Board Member Kelly Gonez said.
“I’m proud to celebrate a 2.5% increase in UC/CSU college eligibility in the largest school district in the state of California, and I remain hopeful that we will increase our graduation rates this coming year, particularly for students from historically underrepresented communities,” Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin said. “High school graduation and college and career readiness is everyone’s responsibility, and I welcome the leadership and collaboration of our educators, staff, families and students as we prepare the next generation of change-makers.”
Through the diligent efforts of Los Angeles Unified educators and staff, numerous strategies to combat learning loss have been implemented and are mitigating enrollment decline, chronic absenteeism and educational setbacks. These initiatives include focusing on student outreach and attendance, implementing enrollment strategies that bring students into the District, expanding tutoring options to provide additional instruction time and addressing whole child wellbeing to deliver a holistic education that responds to academic, social-emotional and psychological needs.
For the most up-to-date information, please follow Los Angeles Unified on Twitter at @laschools and @lausdsup, Instagram at @laschools and @lausdsup and Facebook at @laschools and @AlbertoMCarvalho1.
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