Go On Patterns at Boise and Capital

Over the past two decades, the Boise District student population has become more diverse, in terms of free/reduced lunch qualification. In 1990, for example, the percentage of Boise’s elementary students qualifying for free/reduced lunch was 27%. In 2000, the percentage was 40%, and in March 2013 it was 48%.

At the senior high level, we find that free/reduced populations at Boise, Capital and the District as a whole stood at these levels in 2007 and 2013:



So what effect has changing demographics had on college-going percentages at the two high schools and in the district? Perhaps not what you might think. Below are “Direct to College” percentages at the two high schools and in the District.



Note first that the percentages have increased at both high schools since 2007 (Boise from 64 to 69 and Capital from 48 to 62), and in the District. As demographics have dramatically changed at Capital, the percentage of students going on to college has increased substantially!

The same patterns emerge when we look at students who enter college in the first two years after high school. Here is that chart with Boise, Capital, and the District:



As you can see in this chart, the percentage of high school grads enrolling in college within 2 years of graduation for the class of 2011 is close to 80% at Boise High School, and is at 74% at Capital. Again, Capital’s percentages have increased dramatically even as the student population has continued to change.

What has caused such a dramatic positive change in Capital’s “Go on” rates? There appear to be several factors:

• Capital’s counselors and faculty have made a concerted effort to advise students about college opportunities and encourage students to fill out FAFSA and college applications.
• The College of Western Idaho (CWI) has provided a community college opportunity not previously available to Capital students
• Staff from CWI have worked closely with Capital’s counselors and staff to increase awareness of programs and provide registration opportunities.
• The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program has sparked an increase in Capital college attendance of about 3%.

Boise High School graduates’ college going patterns differ markedly from those of Capital students. Here are the most popular choices for 2013 Boise High grads:




45% of Boise grads enrolled at Boise State, the University of Idaho, and CWI, with only 8% at CWI. Outside of these three schools, the most popular choices for Boise students were the University of Utah (17 students), the College of Idaho (8), Whitman College (6), and BYU, Western Washington, Cal Poly, and Idaho State (5 each). Forty-nine percent (49%) of Boise grads went to out of state colleges.

Here are the patterns for 2013 Capital graduates:



69% of Capital grads enrolled at BSU, UI, and CWI, with 28% at CWI alone. Outside of these three, the most popular Capital choices were Idaho State (9), Utah State, (8), BYU-Idaho (7), and the College of Idaho (6). Twenty percent (20%) of Capital grads attended out of state colleges.

Idaho College-Going Rates, Part 2

In Part 1 of this post, we discussed statewide college-going rates for the classes of 2012 and 2013. The State Board of Education also provided some information about destination patterns among students in districts across the state.

Four Year and Two Year College Patterns

It's interesting to look at trends across the state in terms of Two Year College attendance. The opening of the College of Western Idaho dramatically changed college-going patterns in the Boise District, especially at Borah and Capital High Schools, where many more students are now choosing the Two Year option.

Here's how the patterns look across the state of Idaho. The stacked chart below shows the percentage of class of 2013 students attending Four Year (dark blue bar) and Two Year (light blue bar) colleges. The state of Idaho is highlighted in red and yellow.

Note that Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Moscow, Lewiston, Snake River, Bonneville, and Madison are among those districts with the highest percentages of Four Year attendees.

Idaho Falls Superintendent George Boland noted that there isn't a viable two-year option for most students in his district, since Eastern Idaho Technical College in Idaho Falls fits a specific niche. Most IF students attend BYU-Idaho or Idaho State University.

This also the case in the Madison District down the road in Rexburg. Superintendent Geoffrey Thomas indicated that parents of many Madison students work at BYU-Idaho, and students receive reduced rate tuition there. BYU-Provo and Utah State University are also viable options for some of these students.

Of course, Moscow and Lewiston students have access to two four-year institutions in the neighborhood, the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College.

At the other end of the spectrum, Post Falls and Lakeland have immediate access to North Idaho College, and students in Twin Falls, Gooding, Filer, and Jerome are close to the College of Southern Idaho.

In-State/Out of State Patterns

Following is a chart showing in-state and out-of-state patterns in large Idaho school districts. Just over 3/4 of Idaho graduates who go on to college attend in-state institutions of higher learning.



The highest percentages of in-state college attendance are in Fremont County (eastern Idaho), Homedale, and Filer. Fremont and Filer make sense (see above). Homedale Superintendent Rob Sauer indicated that there's a long-standing tradition among Homedale students of attending the University of Idaho.

Among the lowest percentages of in-state attendance are in Payette, Fruitland, and Weiser. Fruitland Superintendent Teresa Fabricius indicated that, for many Fruitland graduates, the proximity of Fruitland to the border makes Treasure Valley Community College a logical destination.

Idaho College-Going Rates, Part 1

The Idaho State Board of Education recently published college-going rates for the classes of 2012 and 2013 across the state of Idaho. Idaho Education News has published these data on their site as part of Idaho Ed Trends. Following are some charts depicting those rates. The data are derived from National Student Clearinghouse reports to the State Board of Education.

The Clearinghouse data do not include information about students who serve their church on missions, or about students who enter the military. These are limitations to the information presented below.

First, the class of 2012. This chart depicts the percentages of high school grads in "large" districts (over 80 grads) who were enrolled in college at any time during the first 16 months after graduation.



Eight Idaho districts have had more than 60% of their students attend college in the first 16 months after high school graduation. Parma, Moscow, and Meridian are above 70%. Kimberly, Boise, Blaine County, Fruitland, and Coeur D'Alene are between 60% and 70%. At the other end of the spectrum, Fremont County and Preston have had fewer than 40% of 2012 graduates enroll in college thus far. The average statewide is just above 56%.

For the class of 2013, here are the data, displayed in the same fashion. These data are the "direct to college" information for the districts; in other words, these percentages are for students who graduated and then attended 2 or 4 year colleges the next fall semester.



Though the state average is 47%, nine districts have rates of over 55%. Mt. View (Grangeville) and Parma are over 60%, and Moscow, Fruitland, Boise, Kimberly, Meridian, Gooding, and Homedale are above 55%. In Shelley, Preston, Teton County, Snake River, Sugar-Salem, and Fremont County districts, fewer than 30% of graduates entered college the semester after graduation.

It's interesting that Parma, Fruitland, and Kimberly appear near the top of class of 2012 and 2013 charts. What are they doing in these communities that causes such a high percentage of students to attend college?

When asked about Parma's high college-going rates, Superintendent Jim Norton wrote:

"The Bruce Mitchell scholarships play a large role in why Parma grads go on. There is a Foundation Board that manages and oversees the program. Nothing is managed by the District other than coordinating meetings and interviews."

Bruce Mitchell was a Parma grad who worked for Idaho Power as an Electrical Engineer. He initiated the scholarship in 1991, when one award was given (the only one Mitchell saw awarded). As of 2013, 465 Parma students have received scholarships (about 70 students graduate from PHS each year), and over $3 million has been awarded in total. 100 Parma grads are currently being supported by scholarships, which begin in freshman year with $2000, and grow by $500 a year.

"The entire student body and the community takes part in an assembly to honor the Bruce Mitchell Scholarship winners. It is a big deal to students to be recognized at this assembly. A Community Award winner is also recognized."

As Districts work to improve "Go On" rates in pursuit of the State Board's goal of 60% of 25-34 year olds having a certificate or 2 or 4 year degree by 2020, it will be important to analyze what's happening across the state, and to look for examples of what's working. In Boise, a new scholarship sponsored by Bev and George Harad may be just the beginning of support efforts for or students.

There is more information available about college-going patterns across the state. In the next post, we'll examine 2 and 4 year college-going percentages, along with in-state/out-of-state and private/public percentages.