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

Lynn Sees Increasing Enrollments at Lower Grade Levels

The latest Lynn Public School enrollment figures indicate increasing student populations at the lower grade levels.

First grade enrollment within LPS has grown nearly 5% from the last school year (2012-13) to the current one.

The number of kindergarten students within LPS has grown over the past 5 schools from an enrollment of 1,120 students in 2009-10 to 1,313 students in 2013-14.

Kindergarten enrollment at the individual school level varies with the Early Childhood Center enrolling the most students at this grade level at 250 (not included below).

Ingalls reported a substantial increase in kindergarten students over the last two school years (43.8%) while other schools such as Harrington and Lynn Woods saw slight decreases.

Other urban/Gateway City school districts are also seeing increases in their student population, particularly in the lower grades. Chelsea saw a 13% increase in kindergarten students from 2012-13 to 2013-14 while Holyoke reported a 6.4% increase at this grade level. 

All data taken from: www.doe.mass.edu

Massachusetts' Gateway Cities Education Agenda

Part of Governor Deval Patrick's second term education agenda includes focusing more resources on Gateway Cities in an effort to close the achievement gap among students. The 24 Gateway Cities are:

• Barnstable
• Brockton
• Chelsea
• Chicopee
• Everett
• Fall River 
• Fitchburg
• Haverhill
• Holyoke
• Lawrence
• Leominster
• Lowell
• Lynn
• Malden
• Methuen
• New Bedford
• Pittsfield
• Quincy
• Revere
• Salem
• Springfield
• Taunton
• Westfield
• Worcester

Massachusetts' Gateway Cities are home to many of the state's immigrant, low income and English Language Learner students. Pittsfield, for example, is 55.2% low income while Revere is 48.1% First Language not English. Thus, the state's education agenda will focus on these cities where achievement gaps are most persistent. The education strategy will focus on four main goals:

1. Getting every child to read proficiency by the third grade
2. Providing every child with a healthy platform for education
3. Creating a differentiated education system that meets each student, particularly English Language Learners, where they are
4. Preparing all students for college and career success 

The Gateway Cities education agenda serves as part of Governor Patrick's Achievement Gap Act of 2010.