According to the Minnesota Department of Education's (MDE) data released this week, Lakeville Area Schools has continued to maintain a strong four-year graduation rate, despite a slight post-pandemic decline. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) released data on March 28 showing that the district's four-year graduation rate remained robust, at 93.7%, which is 10.4 percentage points above the state average. This represents an increase from the previous year's rate of 92.7%.

Of the 953 Lakeville Area Schools seniors included in the 2022-23 graduation data, 93.7% graduated within four years. This includes students from Lakeville North High School, Lakeville South High School, Lakeville Pathways Academy, and Lakeville Online Academy.

Graduation rates are just one of several data points used to assess students' academic progress. Additionally, the district's commitment to supporting students extends beyond the traditional four-year timeline. With a seven-year graduation rate of 96.4%, Lakeville Area Schools demonstrates its dedication to providing ongoing support to students who require continuing education assistance to graduate.

The breakdown of the four-year graduation rates across various student groups highlights the district's commitment to equity and inclusivity. While celebrating successes, it's crucial to acknowledge areas for improvement. The district has identified opportunities to better support certain groups as evidenced by the data.

In its continuous effort to ensure all students receive the necessary resources for success, Lakeville North and Lakeville South High Schools will be implementing new intervention strategies beginning fall 2024. The introduction of the Building Assets Reducing Risks (BARR) intervention support system will aim to provide comprehensive support to high school students, proactively addressing the reasons why a student may be falling behind and identify what resources they need and steps they can take to thrive. Funds from local, state, and federal sources have been utilized to support this implementation.

Additionally, the high school student services departments are being restructured to adopt a formal school counseling and social work model. The new model will play a pivotal role in developing, delivering and maintaining student achievement in academic, career, personal and social domains. This is possible by restructuring the current high school student support specialist positions and utilizing newly allocated funds through the Student Support Personnel Aid from the state. 

As we move forward, Lakeville Area Schools remains dedicated to its mission to ensure that every student has access to the resources and support they need to thrive academically and personally. By implementing comprehensive strategies like BARR and restructuring our high school student services department, we are confident in our ability to further enhance graduation rates and foster a culture of success for all students. Although this is a step toward increasing the support for students, additional student supports are needed at all levels to ensure each student's academic and personal success.

*CTSTR = cell too small to report