This release was issued under a previous government.
“We know that completing high school is an important step for young people to create a positive future for themselves, their families, and their communities. As we continue to improve our high-performing education system, we will work to reach out to those students who face barriers to completing their high school education and help them accomplish their goals.”
The just-released 2013 high school completion rates show the percentage of students in Alberta finishing within five years of entering high school and within three years of entering high school is growing.
Five-year high school completion rate:
- 81.7 per cent in 2013
- 79 per cent in 2009
Three-year high school completion rate:
- 74.9 per cent in 2013
- 71.5 per cent in 2009
In 2009, Alberta Education launched a High School Completion Strategic Framework to partner with schools and communities to better support high school students in graduating.
Some student-focused programs include:
High school redesign
- 96 schools are currently participating. More flexible, student-centred learning experiences are being created. Teachers and students can focus more on those subject areas that need the most attention (for example, more time spent on chemistry than social studies).
Dual credit opportunities
- Through dual credit courses, students can earn credits for high school and post-secondary studies at the same time while they explore their passions and career options.
Advancing Adolescent Reading Initiative
- This four-year research initiative funded by Alberta Education provides teachers across subject areas with advanced knowledge on how to teach reading skills as part of content area instruction and identify students who need additional reading instruction.
Curriculum redesign
- Refreshing curriculum to support personalized, flexible and engaging learning opportunities (for example, through the use of technology and greater depth of study) to help students stay engaged.
Education Week (May 5-9) provides all Albertans with an opportunity to highlight the important role education plays in shaping the future of our province. The government is committed to seeing the vision of Inspiring Education become a reality and ensuring students enter the 21st century as engaged thinkers and ethical citizens with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Under the Building Alberta Plan, our government is investing in families and communities, living within our means, and opening new markets for Alberta's resources to ensure we're able to fund the services Albertans told us matter most to them. We will continue to deliver the responsible change Albertans voted for.