The number of OPS graduates attending university has been on the rise since the pandemic

McKesson was one of more than 1,100 Omaha Public Schools graduates entering higher education programs in 2022, according to a new study released by the district. She believes her experience at North High School contributed to her admission to Creighton University.

“I feel like OPS has prepared me so much better for college,” McKesson said. “I feel like they always gave students a choice. OPS never pushed college on students, but they said, 'If you want to go to college, choose this path.' . Even if you don't want to go to college, you still have a chance. ”

She is one of the majority of Omaha Public Schools' Class of 2022 graduates who choose to pursue further education, according to the district's recently released Class of 2022 Graduate Follow-up Report. Of the 1,842 students surveyed, 60% decided to continue their education after graduation. This is slightly higher than the proportion of graduates with more education than in 2021, but slightly lower than the 2018 proportion and the national average.

The district has been tracking graduate outcomes for 68 years and releases the report every year, but because of the time it takes to collect results, the report is delayed by a year, officials said. Stated.

“This is an incredibly wealth of information. It has given us a comprehensive understanding of what the 12-year experience in Omaha Public Schools culminates in for our graduates,” said OPS Schools said Suzanne Kramer, Executive Director of Improvement. “Each report gives her five years of data at a time, so you can monitor those cycles and trend increases over time.”

The study only looked at OPS' four-year cohort, so it included only 2,754 2022 graduates. There were 3,483 of her fourth graders in OPS that year, and the rest either continued their high school education into their fifth year, dropped out, or transferred to another school district. .

After several follow-up surveys in the months following May's graduation, only 1,842 graduates responded to the survey.

“While OPS typically achieves higher response rates, restrictions placed on survey callers' weekly work hours had a significant impact on the number of surveys completed,” the report said. I am.

The proportion of graduates enrolling in higher education programs is recovering in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, 60% of graduates enrolled in part-time or full-time programs, but in 2021, only 57% enrolled. In 2018, 63% of students enrolled in higher education programs.

“This is actually because more students are attending post-secondary full-time,” Kramer said. “So we’re happy to see this number trending upward.”

Nationally, 62% of 2021 high school graduates are enrolled in higher education programs, according to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

The district's study analyzed graduation data by high school and student demographics. In 2022, Burke and Central states had the highest college enrollment rates at 67%, while Northwest states had the lowest at 47%.

Approximately 57% of black students continued their education after graduation, compared to 67% of white students.

The majority of 2022 OPS graduates remained in Nebraska for their post-secondary education. 919 remained in the state, 56 attended schools in Iowa, 17 in Missouri, 12 in Kansas, and the rest spread across the country.

McKesson, now a sophomore, said he is not considering Creighton University as his next step after graduation. While she attended North High School, she was planning to attend a historically black college or go somewhere other than Nebraska.

“My first real encounter with Creighton was during my senior year. It was a top university that really wanted me to go there and realized that I had a lot of potential. It was one thing,” McKesson said. “I was asked to apply for this scholarship and I ended up getting a full ride. At that time I thought, 'Okay, I'm going to graduate from college and go somewhere else and start a new journey. Before I start, I want to stay here with my mom and work within the community and see what I can do for the community.''

According to the report, the most common reasons cited by the approximately 700 graduates who were unable to continue their education were the need to take time off from school and the inability to find sufficient funds for college. Some cited low grades, low test scores, and the COVID-19 pandemic as factors in their decision to attend less school.

Approximately 87% of graduates said they would like to attend university in the future.

Students entering college in 2022 were more determined about their career goals than the previous year, with 72% pursuing a major that matched their career goal field.

North High School focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum. Although McKesson said she wishes the school offered more non-STEM-based classes, she said that influenced her choice to pursue psychology and criminal justice. . She said she would like to go into the field of forensic psychology or become a lawyer to help black and brown residents in areas like North Omaha.

Kramer said the unique courses offered by each high school will help students realize their desired career path before graduation. The Class of 2022 also spent a year in the district's Career Academy and Pathways program, which offers specific career-based programs depending on their high school.

“We believe that access to these qualifications, experiences and exploration will not only give future graduates more confidence, but also help them land their next job or take the next step in their education in line with their aspirations. I really hope it helps me get a job.’ That’s the dream,” Kramer said. “We want to see both that conviction and kids doing what they want to do.”

When asked what improvements they expected from OPS, 34% of graduates said they wished they had received more education in life skills such as economics, finding an apartment, cooking, and finding a job. Other areas for improvement include improved teaching practices, increased college readiness, improved learning environments, and career readiness.

“This (part) is really important for us to understand the student experience, to understand what areas we need to explore further,” Kramer said.