Orange County’s high school graduation rate for the Class of 2017 dropped slightly to 89.5 percent, according to new state figures.
The rate fell from 91 percent compared to the previous year. But the drop is attributed to a change in the way the state calculates the number of graduates. It’s not necessarily because fewer students are earning diplomas.
EdSource posted an article where state officials warned against comparing these newest rates with previous years because the rules for calculating graduation rates have changed to conform with federal requirements.
Statewide, 86.6 percent of students from the Class of 2017 graduated from high school. The federal government has not yet released nationwide graduation rates for 2017.
The graduation rate is measured by cohort groups, meaning that students are tracked over a four-year period, from their freshman to senior years.
The state Department of Education posted the 2017 graduation figures last week on its DataQuest site, broken down by counties, districts and schools, with filters to allow viewing by gender and some student groups, and differentiating between charter and district schools.
Here are the graduation rates by district. The chart also includes the number of student who graduated meeting University of California and California State University admission requirements, and those who graduated with a Seal of Biliteracy, meaning they have demonstrated mastery of a second language besides English.
| District name | Cohort Students | Regular HS Diploma Graduates | Cohort Graduation Rate | Graduates Meeting UC/CSU Requirements | Graduates Earning a Seal of Biliteracy |
| Anaheim Union High | 5,145 | 4,435 | 86.20% | 1,946 | 952 |
| Brea-Olinda Unified | 472 | 449 | 95.10% | 249 | 58 |
| Capistrano Unified | 3,993 | 3,864 | 96.80% | 2,243 | 654 |
| Fullerton Joint Union High | 3,397 | 3,147 | 92.60% | 1,765 | 541 |
| Garden Grove Unified | 3,541 | 3,248 | 91.70% | 1,853 | 619 |
| Huntington Beach Union High | 3,882 | 3,461 | 89.20% | 1,670 | 780 |
| Irvine Unified | 2,324 | 2,200 | 94.70% | 1,544 | 596 |
| Laguna Beach Unified | 245 | 239 | 97.60% | 182 | 92 |
| Los Alamitos Unified | 833 | 815 | 97.80% | 607 | 303 |
| Newport-Mesa Unified | 1,805 | 1,636 | 90.60% | 994 | 261 |
| Orange Unified | 2,320 | 2,119 | 91.30% | 1,011 | 330 |
| Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified | 2,116 | 2,021 | 95.50% | 1,090 | 384 |
| Saddleback Valley Unified | 2,445 | 2,273 | 93.00% | 1,288 | 365 |
| Santa Ana Unified | 3,455 | 3,136 | 90.80% | 1,420 | 901 |
| Tustin Unified | 1,963 | 1,878 | 95.70% | 1,184 | 513 |