Understanding the School Completion Report

The OurSCHOOL survey groups several measures to examine the likelihood of school completion and, through extensive yet easy to follow analyses, the School Completion Thematic Report presents secondary schools with reliable, detailed data on the factors associated with  student graduation from secondary school.

The first chart in the thematic report presents important information about the probability of school completion.

• The sum of the red bars represents students with a probability of school completion that is less than 50%, indicating a low probability of school completion. The chart for the example school below shows that 6% of students have a low probability of school completion.
• The sum of the yellow bars represents students with a probability of school completion between 50-70%, indicating a moderate probability of school completion. In the chart below, 7% of students have a moderate probability of school completion.
• The sum of the green bars represents students with a probability of school completion that is greater than 70%, indicating a high probability of school completion. In the chart below, 87% of students have a high probability of school completion.

When added together, the percentages from each category account for 100% of the students at a school. This means that each student has either a low, moderate, or high probability of school completion.

Five Types of Students

A graph displaying the percentage of students considered either Engaged, Disconnected, Disengaged, Struggling or Alienated is featured in the School Completion Thematic Report. Each category represents a student profile related to school completion, with varying levels of academic achievement, engagement, and mental health as described within the report.

	For example  The results for this school are encouraging, as the largest proportion of students are considered Engaged.

Indicators of School Completion

The figure below displays the percentage of students with a positive sense of belonging (vertical axis) by their probability of school completion (horizontal axis). Low levels of social engagement are a common characteristic of all students at risk of dropping out.

For example 
In this school, 80% of students with a high probability of school completion have a positive sense of belonging.

Alternatively, more than 30% of students with a moderate probability of school completion have a positive sense of belonging.

Also, less than 20% of students with a low probability of school completion have a positive sense of belonging.

Similarly, figures for students with a high expectation of success, grades of B or higher, school advocacy by probability of school completion, can all be interpreted in the same fashion.

	For example  High expectations for success are strongly related to school completion. In this school, over 90% of students with a high probability of school completion have a high expectation for success.

	For example  Low academic grades are a risk factor for dropping out. Here 30% of students with a moderate probability of school completion have grades of B or higher.

	For example  Mentorship is especially important for youth. In this school, 35% of students with a low probability of school completion have an advocate at school.

Each section of the School Completion Thematic Report provides invaluable information that can be used to help schools focus on students at risk of drop-out. Equipped with this powerful school-level data, teachers and administrators can take the next steps to support students through to graduation.

Read this article to learn more about some of our practical tips and strategies you can use to promote school completion.