T.C. Williams High School saw an increase in on-time graduation rates for all groups of students in data released by the State on Wednesday.
Overall, T.C. Williams saw a one percentage point increase in its on-time graduation rate for the 2017 four-year cohort. Eighty-three percent of all students who started ninth grade in fall 2013 graduated from T.C. Williams within four years. This is the second consecutive year that T.C. Williams has seen a higher graduation rate than the previous year.
The on-time graduation rate for students with disabilities jumped three percentage points over the previous year. The on-time graduation rate for English Learners increased by six percentage points over the same period. This year’s on-time graduation rates for black, white and students with disabilities matched all-time highs of 88, 94 and 90 percent respectively since state reporting began in 2008.
Over the last three years, the on-time graduation rate for students with disabilities increased seven percentage points, and 13 percentage points for English Learners. The results demonstrate that Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is making progress in closing the achievement gap.
“The graduation rate at T.C. Williams is continuing to move in the right direction, with significant growth for students with disabilities and English Learners. The new leadership structure at T. C. Williams this school year increases the level of academic, social and emotional support students need to succeed,” said Interim Superintendent Lois F. Berlin.
This fall, T.C. Williams transitioned to a new organizational structure at the King Street and Minnie Howard campuses. The new structure better integrates teaching, learning and student support services and improves the ratio of administrators to students. Under the new structure, administrators are able to more effectively monitor and address student performance and positively impact graduation outcomes.
“The academy structure means that students are part of smaller learning and counseling communities that allow us to monitor students more carefully and address any concerns early. This new structure provides students with more targeted support to help them graduate on time,” said T.C. Williams Principal Peter Balas.
Dropout rates at T.C. Williams were slightly higher than last year at 12 percent, but saw a decrease in the percentage of dropouts for English Learners (-1 percentage point). The dropout rate remained consistent for black students and students with disabilities, while it increased for Hispanics and economically disadvantaged students.
Programs such as the International Academy and Advanced Via Individual Determination (AVID) aim to improve these outcomes. The International Academy addresses the unique needs of immigrant English Learners in graduating from high school ready for college while simultaneously learning English, while AVID prepares students in the academic middle, and those who may be the first generation in their family to attend college, for four-year college eligibility. Engaging students in these programs during their middle school years and throughout high school is expected to have a long-term impact on graduation rates and in closing the achievement gap.
