Hold the candles on the celebration cake when it comes to Buffalo Public Schools' graduation rate. The numbers of students walking across the stage to pick up a diploma may have risen, but the jury is still out on whether those students received the high-quality education their parents, community and state expect.
To be fair, the district has put into place programs that are aimed at appealing to students while offering them job-ready skill sets. This is in addition to other programs that are intended to sharpen their academic skills in preparation for college.
Still, those doubting that these graduates truly met the standards of a Regents diplomas have a point.
Some background: BPS graduated 79 percent of its four-year high school students last year, a slight increase from the 78.5 percent mark in 2021, according to a New York State Education Department report issued Thursday.
Last year's class became the second in a row with more than 2,000 Buffalo students meeting state requirements. Buffalo's rate, calculated out of 2,547 enrolled students, again fell short of the statewide graduation rate of 87 percent. The New York figure rose modestly for the ninth straight year. The state's graduation rate was 86.1 percent in 2021 and 77.8 percent in 2013.
No year has seen an increase of more than 1.4 percent, but over the long term, the rate has risen considerably, as reported by The News' Ben Tsujimoto.
This, at least at first glance, is encouraging news. Even more heartening has been the increase in Buffalo's graduation rates, which rose by 11 percentage points in just one year ― to 76 percent in 2020 from 65 percent in 2019.
But some caveats: Regents exams were canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In those years, students who passed their Regents courses earned exemption from the exams.
Education Trust NY, an education policy and advocacy organization, has contended that graduation rates are rising artificially due to standards that were relaxed during the pandemic.
The organization's deputy director, Jeff Smink, added a note of caution: "While the increase in graduation rates for the Class of 2022 appears to be good news, we remain concerned about whether it is an accurate reflection of how well students are prepared for the future," noting recent changes to state graduation requirements, including lowering the passing score on Regents exams to 50 percent, which "make it difficult for parents and employers to know the true value of a New York diploma."
Smink makes an important point about graduating from high school only to need non-credit bearing remedial coursework in college or, unable to pass required entry-level workforce exams. Erie Community College has been public about needing to bring recent Buffalo high school graduates up to snuff.
New York State Education Department spokesperson Emily DeSantis, in remarking on New York State's upward trend in graduation, acknowledged the work ahead. The state, she said, needs "to improve outcomes for all students, especially our most vulnerable populations."
True enough, but as the Education Trust observed, the goal must also be to ensure all of New York's students are prepared for post-secondary success. These young people represent the future, so it is imperative that they meet and exceed the challenges that lie ahead in a demanding global economy.
This column was distributed by The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.) and distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
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