CFISD graduation rate tops among large school districts

June 15, 2009 — The 2009 edition of Diplomas Count, released by Education Week on June 9, announced that Cypress-Fairbanks ISD has the highest graduation rate among the nation’s 50 largest school districts.

CFISD, tied for the top spot with Montgomery County, Md., had a graduation rate of 80.7 percent, well above the national and state averages of 69.2 percent and 65.3 percent, respectively. The research was based on the latest available data from the Class of 2006, and lists CFISD as the 35th-largest school district in the country. Since the 2005-2006 school year, district enrollment has increased from 86,445 to almost 104,000 students.

“Data continues to support CFISD as a nationally recognized school district,” said Dr. David Anthony, superintendent of schools. “Clearly, the district excels in providing a quality education to its students in order to pursue their post-secondary goals in college or the workforce.”

The study conducted by the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center examined data using the Cumulative Promotion Index (CPI) method to calculate graduation rates. The CPI represents the high school experience as a process rather than a single event, capturing the four key steps a student must take in order to graduate: three grade-to-grade promotions (9 to 10, 10 to 11 and 11 to 12) and ultimately earning a diploma (grade 12 to graduation).

Since 1989, Education Week has covered policy developments in K-12 education. It is published 37 times a year, and also publishes three highly anticipated reports each year: Diplomas Count, Quality Counts and Technology Counts.