Postsecondary Remediation Rates Decreasing; Enrollment Rates Steady, Data Show
As part of a series of data releases regarding student success, OSPI released rates of postsecondary enrollment and remediation today
Postsecondary enrollment and college course remediation rates measure the extent to which the K-12 education system supports every Washington student in identifying, planning, and preparing for their life beyond high school.
Today, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released data analytics on postsecondary enrollment and remediation rates for the Class of 2015.
Overall, the data show postsecondary remediation rates for math and English courses decreased almost six percentage points between 2011 and 2015, from 38.8 percent to 32.9 percent.
In the same time frame, postsecondary enrollment rates for all students attending two- and four-year public and private colleges both in- and out-of-state has remained steady between 59 and 61 percent, with the rate being 59.9 percent for the Class of 2015.
Of all high school graduates in 2015, the data broken down show:
- 20.5 percent went on to public four-year colleges in state,
- 25.7 percent went to public two-year colleges in state,
- 19.8 percent went to two-year academic transfer programs, and
- 4.4 percent went on to two-year workforce programs.
“We have been working on decreasing remediation rates and increasing postsecondary enrollment for many years,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. “To see these efforts working means more students are getting what they need to be successful in postsecondary opportunities.”
The largest gains in enrollment rates and reductions in remediation rates were made by migrant students. Additionally, the data show remediation rates are decreasing for every race and ethnicity student group.
“It’s important that we measure postsecondary enrollment and remediation rates so we know where those gaps exist between student groups,” said Superintendent Reykdal. “Knowing where the gaps are mean we can target supports to close them.”
Next steps
Starting in the 2017–18 school year, students will be required to create a High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) beginning in the 7th or 8th grade, updating it annually through collaboration with school counselors, teachers, and their parent or guardian.
The purpose of the HSBP is to help students choose a pathway to high school graduation and beyond that meets their needs, interests, and goals.
In the coming years, OSPI plans to break enrollment and remediation rates out for apprenticeship programs, internships, and industry certificate programs, as well as include postsecondary completion rates.
OSPI staff are always available to help schools and districts break down their data to identify trends and gaps, and offer support in identifying potential solutions and sharing best practices being implemented by other districts.
Today’s release is part of OSPI’s “Performance Indicators — Data and Analytics” work designed to help the state and school districts make data-informed decisions. As new data analytics are released, they are posted on the OSPI Data and Analytics webpage.
