Living Sky School Division's report shows student graduation rates including Indigenous student rates are higher than the provincial tally. The goal for school divisions across the province has been to reduce the disparity between Indigenous and non Indigenous student graduation rates. (file photo/CKOM Staff)

By Angela Brown

Raising the bar

Living Sky topping provincial grad rates, still working to shore up Indigenous disparity

Oct 24, 2019 | 1:20 PM

Living Sky School Division is seeing continued improvements in its graduation rates among First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) students and boasts one of the highest graduation rates in the province.

But it still has a way to go to shore up the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous rates.

“I think one of the biggest successes has been in our five-year graduation rate,” Tonya Lehman, a superintendent of learning with Living Sky, said. “We are graduating now 63 per cent of our First Nation students. That’s not enough. We’re not satisfied with that number, but it is a change year-over-year, and it’s a change in the right direction.”

Lehman said North Battleford Comprehensive High School has a graduation coach who has helped students achieve better results.

Over a three-year normal graduation period, students in Grade 10 to 12, posted an 80 per cent graduation rate in 2018-19, higher than the provincial average of 77 per cent.

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The year prior, Living Sky boasted an 80 per cent grad rate, while 10 years ago it saw just 78 per cent of students graduating within three years.

Non-Indigenous students saw a 91 per cent graduation rate in 2018-19, above the province’s tally of just 87. That number is just slightly down from 92 per cent the year prior, but an improvement from the 87 per cent graduation rate 10 years ago.

But Indigenous students graduated with a 47 per cent rate in 2018-19, higher than the provincial count of 43. That’s lower than 51 per cent the year before, but a significant improvement compared to 10 years ago when the total was just 34 per cent.

Extended-time graduation rates, which accounts for students graduating within five years, showed even better results.

All students saw an 88 per cent graduation rate in 2018-19, higher than the provincial total of 85 per cent. The year prior, Living Sky had an 84 per cent graduation rate, while 10 years ago, it was 80.

Non-Indigenous students graduated at a rate of 96 per cent over five years in 2018-19, above the province’s count of 91 per cent. That is higher than the previous year when the total was 94 per cent. It’s also an improvement from 10 years ago when the division posted 88 per cent.

In comparison, 63 per cent of Indigenous students graduated within five years in 2018-19, higher than the provincial number of 61. That’s above the prior year’s tally of 55 per cent, and a significant improvement over 10 years ago when the total was just 31 per cent.

In 2014, the province directed school divisions to reduce the difference in Grade 12 graduation rates between Indigenous students and non-Indigenous students by 50 per cent by 2020.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow