Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (CODCA) Boasts Higher Graduation and Teacher Retention Rates Than State and National Averages

Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (CODCA)—an online public school program serving sixth through twelfth-grade students across the state—has stronger teacher retention rates, higher graduation rates, and lower drop-out rates than state and national averages, according to a new report.

An online program of the Julesburg School District, CODCA has seen four-year graduation rates increase nearly 10 percentage points each year over the last five years. In addition, CODCA achieved an 85.9% graduation rate during the 2019-2020 academic year, which surpassed the state of Colorado’s average graduation rate that year of 81.9%.

Further, for the past five years, teacher retention rates at CODCA have remained steady at more than 90% each year, a higher percentage than the national teacher retention rate of about 84%.

“We work hard to ensure our school is innovative and provides the best place for our students’ and teachers’ journeys in education,” said Teri Cady, CODCA’s Head of School. “We are a cohesive team and we all put our students first to ensure they are growing in academics, are prepared for both college and career, and become confident young people.”

It’s important to note that the relationship between mobility and graduation rates is often overlooked. Data shows that schools that serve high mobile populations, like CODCA, have lower graduation rates. However, the new report indicates, that when students spend their entire high school career at CODCA (from ninth grade through graduation), they have an even greater likelihood of graduating in four years or less. In fact, between 2017-2020, at least 90% of students who enrolled in 9th grade and stayed enrolled throughout their senior year, went on to graduate within four years of enrollment.

To improve student outcomes, CODCA school leaders have focused on the following key objectives: building a cohesive school leadership team, encouraging data-driven decisions, supporting credit-deficient students, enhancing parent and family engagement, and expanding career learning opportunities.

CODCA is the state’s first full-time, online career technical education program approved by the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE).

In 2020, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many career learning programs were limited or stopped altogether. However, CODCA was not part of this trend and career learning at this school program has continued unabated. Also, students planning to attend a two or four-year college after graduation can enroll in college-level courses at any of the eleven community colleges that CODCA has partnered with. As part of this partnership, students can earn both college and high school credit.

At CODCA, every student has access to a rich curriculum taught by state-licensed teachers. In addition to career focused coursework, students are offered the core subjects of English/language arts, math, science, history, world languages, and Advanced Placement^® courses.

For more information about the new CODCA study, visit https://www.stridelearning.com/insights.

About Destinations Career Academy of Colorado

Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (CODCA) is an accredited, full-time public school program of the Julesburg School District that serves Colorado students in grades 6-12. As part of the Colorado public school system, CODCA is tuition-free, and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN).

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