Graduation rate declines in Fairfax Co.

The graduation rate for Hispanic students in Northern Virginia remained far below that of other students, despite pockets of improvement, according to numbers released Tuesday by the state's Department of Education.

In Fairfax, the state's largest district, 73 percent of Hispanic students graduated with the class of 2009, down from 74 percent in 2008. About 95 percent of their white peers earned a diploma.

In Alexandria, 65 percent of Hispanic students reached the academic milestone, compared with 87 percent of white students. Even so, that's up from 58 percent for the class of 2008. In Arlington, the rate jumped to 69 percent from 64 percent, while 96 percent of white students graduated.

The dropout rate of Hispanic students topped 20 percent for the class of 2009 in all areas but Loudoun County, with the majority quitting school by their junior year.

Overall graduation rates in the Virginia suburbs improved last year in all but Fairfax County, where it fell slightly to about 90 percent for the more than 13,000 students who entered the class of 2009. In 2008, about 91 percent of students graduated.

"One question I'd like to ask is what does the economy have to do with this - how many kids are having to work to help support their families?" said Fairfax School Board member Jane Strauss.

Fairfax ranked locally second only to Loudoun. About 94 percent of Loudoun's students made it across the stage with a diploma in 2009, up a fraction of a percentage from last year.

Arlington and Prince William counties both saw about 84 percent of eligible students graduate in four years, and in Alexandria, about 78 percent of students reached the milestone. For each of the school districts, that was about a one-point gain from the previous year.

Statewide, about 83 percent of the students in the class of 2009 graduated in four years. Students are allowed to pursue graduation until they reach 21 years old.

First-year Arlington Superintendent Pat Murphy, formerly a central office administrator in Fairfax, said that "while there are many areas that are positive, there are still particular groups for which we need to focus efforts."

The class of 2009 marked Virginia's second year using a new and more accurate formula for calculating graduation rate, making the rates incomparable with those before 2008.

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