2019 4-Year Dropout Rate for English Learner Students Sees an Increase Statewide from 2018

Over the past five years, the number of English Learner (EL) students statewide in the graduating student cohort has increased nearly 50%.

While the number of EL students has increased, so has the 4-year dropout rate. In 2015, 14.1% of EL students who enrolled in 9th grade in 2011 dropped out within fours years; by 2019, the 4-year dropout rate had increased to 16.9%. 

Alternatively, the 4-year graduation rate for EL students in 2019 was 64.6% compared to 64% in 2015.

The state's 26 Gateway Cities represented 46.8% of the 2019 EL cohort. The 4-year dropout among these communities ranged from 0% in Westfield to 40% in Peabody.

Source: www.doe.mass.edu