St. Paul Public Schools narrows achievement gap in 2024 graduation rates
Both St. Paul and the state of Minnesota made strides in graduation rates in 2024, with St. Paul schools reversing declines and further closing gaps across several demographics.
The percentage of students graduating in four years in St. Paul was 76.5% in 2024, an increase that follows three consecutive years of declines in the district's four-year graduation rate.
St. Paul's graduation rate in 2023 did not include all summer graduates due to a technical error, St. Paul Public Schools officials said at the time. Though the district's graduation rate still improved this year even when accounting for that difference.
Achievement gaps for SPPS
Almost all student groups in the district increased their four-year graduation rate compared to 2023, according to SPPS.
This includes students receiving special education services, Asian, Black and white students and those students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
The largest jumps in the district were for English language learners who went from a graduation rate of 54.8% last year to 67.4% in 2024, according to state data. Hispanic students went from a 2023 graduation rate of 53.8% to a rate of 66.4%.
When including summer graduates in 2023 data, both groups still saw graduation rate increases.
Despite the gains, most groups still have lower graduation rates than they did in the graduation year of 2022 when the district saw significant drops going from 2022 to 2023 across multiple groups.
American Indian students went from 49.4% graduating in 2023 to 47% in 2024. They had the largest drop from 2022 to 2023 with their graduation rate at 62% in 2022.
Asian students went from 75.2% in 2023 to 83.5% in 2024; Black students went from 58.8% to 69.2%; Hispanic students went from 53.8% to 66.4%; students of two or more races went from 75% to 76.1% and white students went from 80.4% to 86.8%, according to the district.
There are several factors that contributed to the decline in the graduation rate going from 2022 to 2023, according to district officials.
The class of 2023 had a larger number of students dropping out compared to 2022 and a larger number of students whose final status with the district is unknown. Attendance also has declined across all student groups since the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among student groups with lower four-year graduation rates, according to district officials.
Improvement efforts
District officials attribute increased student achievement to several practices which include:
• Fair and equitable grading practices along with teacher and student support which have improved passing rates.
• Expanding and enhancing 9th grade academic support courses in its high schools.
• Expanding access to internships, industry-recognized certifications, work-based learning experiences and partnerships providing real-world learning applications.
• Implementing daily advisory classes to help with student engagement and positive relationship building among students by providing academic and post-secondary support and preparation.
• Offering credit recovery options, including after school, online and experiential learning programs to help students graduate.
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