The purpose of Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School is to prepare through ...

Background
Each year Alberta Education provides school boards
with information on their students’ results. In earlier
newsletters, I reported on the provincial achievement and
diploma testing results and on the results of the provincial
satisfaction surveys of students, parents and teachers.
In this newsletter, I am reporting on our results for
Rutherford Scholarship Eligibility, High School to Post-
Secondary Transition, Dropout and Return, and High School
Completion.
Rutherford Scholarship Eligibility Rate
Grade 12 students are eligible for provincially
awarded Rutherford Scholarships if they achieve excellence
in specified courses in Grade 10, 11 or 12. A student can be
eligible to receive as much as $400 for Grade 10 academic
excellence, $800 for Grade 11 and $1,300 for Grade 12. In
2007, 39% of our graduates were eligible for these
scholarships. Students receive the scholarships when they
have confirmed enrolment in a post-secondary institution.
Post-Secondary Transition Rates
The High School to Post-Secondary Transition
Rate is a calculation of the rate at which students move
into post-secondary education within four and six years
of starting Grade 10. Our students’ Transition Rate after
four years of entering Grade 10 was 40%, and after six
years of entering Grade 10, it was 59%.
More Measures of Success
High School Completion Rates
High school completion rates track a specific
group of first-time Grade 10 students for three, four and
five years. Within three years of entering Grade 10, 70%
of our students completed high school; after four years
76% completed; and after five years 77%. Our completion
rates have climbed over the past several years; however,
we want to see further growth. Increasing completion
rates is a strong focus for action.
All levels of the school system work towards
increasing high school completion rates. Every school does
annual improvement planning, which includes strategies
that have a direct or indirect impact on students
completing school. Strategies range from increasing
academic success, to strategies that help students
recover from setbacks, to others that enable students to
explore career and postsecondary options. School plans
are rolled up into the five administrative Areas’ plans,
which are then consolidated into the system plan that
drives budget decisions.
In addition to this strategic planning, other
actions are being taken based on the recommendations
from our Review of Secondary Education. The review
included representatives of our many stakeholders, to
reflect the powerful impact families, community,
partners, service agencies, potential employers and the
economy have on students completing high school.
Dropout and Return Rates
Dropout Rates are based on the number of 14 to 18
year old students who are enrolled in our schools on
September 30 in a given school year. At the end of the next
year, students from this group who did not complete high
school and were not in one of our schools or a school
elsewhere in the province are considered to have dropped
out. Our Dropout Rate has improved steadily, to an all-time
low of 4.9%.
The Return Rate is calculated by tracking the
students who were identified as having dropped out and who
then returned to school the next year. Our most recent
Return Rate is 20%.
Significant Growth
Our rates of Rutherford Scholarship Eligibility,
High School to Post-Secondary Transition, Dropout and
Return, and High School Completion have shown steady
and statistically significant growth. This is a foundation
of success upon which we will continue to build in order to
serve our students even better.
Dr. Brendan J. Croskery,
Chief Superintendent
For definitions of the measures discussed here,
visit http://www.cbe.ab.ca/results/default.asp
Note: All figures are the most recent provided by Alberta Education.