INDICATOR

 STATUS

 TREND

This indicator looks at student drop out rates, suspension rates, and rates of substance abuse. Santa Monica has identified a downward trend as the target for these indicators. The city is also looking at students’ perception of safety at school, students who enroll in college or university, and the advanced placement performance of students. Naturally, the city targets improvements in these measures.  The substance abuse and perception of safety data comes from the California Healthy Kids Survey.

Student Drop Out: SMMUSD student drop out rates are very low. Between 1999 and 2004, the drop out rate fluctuated between .2% and .8% of students. In 2005-6, it was .4%.

Student Suspensions: Suspensions have dropped from their prior high levels this year, to 6.6% of students in the 2006-7 school year.  This figure represents a slight drop from the previous year’s 8.1%. Perhaps this decrease reflects an easing of the gang-related tensions reported on campus and off. 

Student Substance Abuse: SMMUSD students acknowledge substance abuse in their schools, and rates of abuse are flat after a big jump between the 1999 and 2001 surveys conducted. Thirty seven percent report that they have never been drunk or high. Students admitting alcohol abuse dropped slightly from 2001 to 2005, from 34% to 33%.  Reported drug abuse dropped slightly from 32% to 30%.   For both alcohol and drug abuse, rates of abuse decreased for 11th graders, and increased for 7th graders.

Perception of Safety at School: SMMUSD students reported a substantial reduction in their feeling of safety at school. In 1999, 93% of students reported feeling safe at school. In 2005, the student-reported perception of safety tumbled to 24%!  It’s possible this change is related to the higher level of gang membership and student possession of weapons on campus.  It may also be a result of increased gun-related violence at schools nationwide.  The next biannual Health Kids Survey, available in 2008, will supply information on whether this change is a trend or an aberration.

College or University Enrollment: The number of SMMUSD students enroll in college or university is back up above 90% this year. In 2001, 96% of students were attending further schooling. By 2003 only 89% of students were going on to attend a two year or four year college.  In the 2006-7 school year, this number went up to 93%.

Advanced Placement Exams: While Advanced Placement (AP) class enrollment remained high, test passage rates dropped slightly from the high level of the prior three years.  In 2005, 46% of 11th and 12th grade students were enrolled in advanced placement classes, an increase from 2004’s 42%. Of these students, 64% received a passing grade on the AP exam, down from 72% the prior year. 

The city’s goal is to be a community in which all its members are empowered to be successful. The quality of public school education is of critical importance to the success of a sustainable city and enhances students’ ability to attain their goals. The city values its young people and invests in their education so that they feel empowered to enhance the quality of their lives.