Dropout Rates (2009–2022)

Definition

A student is considered a dropout if he or she was enrolled at any time during the previous school year, is not enrolled at the beginning of the current school year, and does not meet certain exclusionary conditions.

The time frames represent school years (SY).

Data Source

Data prior to SY 2015-2016 had been available at New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) Fact Sheets, "Habitual Truant Students by District and School Type": http://www.ped.state.nm.us/it/schoolfactsheets.html. All data beginning with SY 2015-2016 were obtained by custom data request from the NMPED.

Notes

According to the most recent publication from the NM Public Education Department (NMPED), dropout rates are not related to cohort on-time graduation. The term "dropout" relates to something different from a "non-graduate," so the rates are not complementary--that is, subtracting the rate of non-graduates from the rate of on-time graduates does not yield the dropout rate. In addition, dropout rates are calculated each year, unlike on-time graduation rates.

It is important to note that the reported dropout rates reflect an "overall rate", namely for grades 7-12, which include but do not exclusively reflect high school dropout rates.  High school dropout rates are significantly higher than for middle school. The NMPED historically has reported overall rates.

The reported data are for public and charter schools statewide.

Data by school district available upon request.

Last Updated

2023-12