Albuquerque Public Schools
APS Makes Significant Gains in Graduation Rates
The Albuquerque Public Schools graduation rate for the Class of 2020 was 74.6 percent, an increase of nearly 5 percentage points in a year and 13 percentage points in six years.
For the fifth straight year, the graduation rate for Albuquerque Public Schools has improved, increasing to nearly 75 percent for the Class of 2020, the district’s highest graduation rate in more than a decade.
The district’s 2020 graduation rate increased by almost 5 percentage points in a year and 13 percentage points in six years, going from 61.7 percent for the Class of 2015 to 74.6 for the Class of 2020.
Eleven of the district’s 13 comprehensive high schools saw improved graduation rates in 2020, as did four of its six magnet schools.
APS also made gains in every demographic group, with Native American students improving by 11.4 percentage points and African American students improving by 9.3 percentage points.
Without charter schools, the 2020 graduation rate for APS increased by more than three percentage points in a year to 76.8%. APS has limited academic control over charter schools, and its graduation rate typically is several percentage points higher when they are extracted.
“When the pandemic closed our schools in March of last year, we didn’t give up on our seniors,” recalled APS Interim Superintendent Scott Elder. “We did just the opposite – taking extra care to make sure our students got the education and support they needed to earn their high school diploma. The hard work paid off. We are very proud of our students and thankful for the teachers and staff who stood by them.”
Graduation Rates by High School
Graduation rates increased by more than 2 percentage points at eight of the district’s comprehensive high schools:
- Highland by 7.5 percentage points to 62.5%
- Atrisco by 7.26 to 78.6%
- Rio Grande by 6.9 to 70%
- La Cueva by 6.4 to 91.3%
- Sandia by 4.2 to 83.9%
- Manzano by 3.9 to 76.1%
- West Mesa by 2.5 to 71.6%
- Cibola by 2.9 to 82.3%
Four APS magnet schools saw improved graduation rates as well:
- School on Wheels by 14.7 percentage points (the district’s most significant gain) to 57.8%
- New Futures by 13.2 to 37%
- Early College Academy by 5.3 percentage points to an astounding 98.3% – the highest graduation rate among APS schools
- Nex+Gen by 4.4 to 92.4%
Graduation Rates by Demographic Groups
All but one demographic group saw gains of 2 percentage points or more in 2020, and Native American students improved by double digits:
- Native American students by 11.4 percentage points to 67.5%
- African American students by 9.3 to 68.5%
- Caucasian students by 5.4 to 80.7%
- Hispanic students by 3.8 to 73.1%
- Economically disadvantaged students by 4.5 to 67.2%
- English Learners by 3.6 to 73.8%
- Special Education students by 2.2 to 64.9%
APS High School Graduation Rates
|
APS High School |
2017 grad rate |
2018 grad rate |
2019 grad rate |
2020 grad rate |
1-Year Difference |
|
District w/ Charters |
67.9 |
69.6 |
70.1 |
74.6 |
4.46 |
|
District w/o Charters |
72.6 |
72.9 |
73.7 |
76.8 |
3.11 |
|
Albuquerque High |
70.1 |
72.8 |
76.6 |
74.3 |
-2.26 |
|
Atrisco Heritage Academy |
70.8 |
70.8 |
71.3 |
78.6 |
7.26 |
|
Cibola High |
78.1 |
82.4 |
79.4 |
82.3 |
2.9 |
|
College and Career |
97.3 |
97.1 |
98.5 |
93.1 |
-5.4 |
|
Del Norte High |
58.6 |
57.9 |
56.9 |
56.7 |
-0.2 |
|
Early College Academy |
90.6 |
89.9 |
93 |
98.3 |
5.3 |
|
Eldorado High |
78.8 |
79.7 |
82.8 |
84.6 |
1.8 |
|
Freedom High |
47.0 |
37.8 |
42.7 |
30.9 |
-11.8 |
|
Highland High |
54.2 |
59.4 |
55 |
62.5 |
7.5 |
|
La Cueva High |
87.4 |
88.5 |
84.9 |
91.3 |
6.4 |
|
Manzano High |
75.8 |
72.0 |
72.2 |
76.1 |
3.9 |
|
New Futures |
32.2 |
30.0 |
23.8 |
37 |
13.2 |
|
Nex+Gen Academy |
83.9 |
95.5 |
88 |
92.4 |
4.4 |
|
Rio Grande High |
61.0 |
61.0 |
63.1 |
70 |
6.9 |
|
Sandia High |
79.2 |
77.3 |
79.6 |
83.9 |
4.2 |
|
School On Wheels |
20.8 |
50.3 |
43.1 |
57.8 |
14.7 |
|
Valley High |
75.2 |
67.6 |
72.8 |
72.1 |
0.1 |
|
Volcano Vista High |
84.7 |
82.3 |
84.1 |
84.5 |
0.4 |
|
West Mesa High |
63.8 |
67.9 |
69.1 |
71.6 |
2.5 |
APS Demographic Group Graduation Rates
|
Demographic Group |
2017 grad rate |
2018 grad rate |
2019 grad rate |
2020 grad rate |
1-Year Difference |
|
Female |
73 |
72.9 |
74 |
78.6 |
4.6 |
|
Male |
63.1 |
66.4 |
66.4 |
70.7 |
4.3 |
|
Asian |
83.3 |
84.5 |
84.4 |
85.1 |
0.7 |
|
African American |
65.2 |
63.4 |
59.2 |
68.5 |
9.3 |
|
Native American |
54.6 |
54.2 |
56.1 |
67.5 |
11.4 |
|
Caucasian |
75.5 |
77.2 |
75.3 |
80.7 |
5.4 |
|
Hispanic |
65.8 |
67.9 |
69.3 |
73.1 |
3.8 |
|
Economically Disadvantaged |
61.6 |
62.3 |
62.7 |
67.2 |
4.5 |
|
English Learners |
69.4 |
67.8 |
70.2 |
73.8 |
3.6 |
|
Special Education |
62.6 |
65.2 |
62.7 |
64.9 |
2.2 |