Dropout Demographics in Florida’s Public Schools and Dropout Rates
Series 2009-04D	November 2008

Introduction
In Florida, a dropout is defined as a student who withdraws from school for any of several reasons cited in statute without transferring to another school, home education program, or adult education program. Dropout withdrawal reasons include voluntary withdrawal from school prior to graduation (e.g., after passing the age of compulsory school attendance); failure to meet attendance requirements due to excessive absenteeism; discontinuance of attendance with whereabouts unknown; failure to enter/attend school as expected after having previously registered; and certain other reasons. The dropout rate is calculated and reported for all children in grades 9-12 who drop out of school.
Florida’s dropout rate is a single-year indicator that compares the number of dropouts in grades 9-12 to the total 9-12 students enrolled at anytime during a single year. The dropout rates and graduation rates are not directly comparable since the graduation rate is a four-year, cohort-based indicator.
Dropout Profiles
In 2007-08, there was a decrease in the dropout rate. Florida’s dropout rate steadily decreased from 2000-01 to 2003-04, increased slightly from 2003-04 to 2005-06, and decreased again in the last two years.

Florida Department of Education
Eric J. Smith, Commissioner

Of dropouts reported for grades 9-12 in 2007-08, 34.04 percent were white, 35.52 percent were black, 27.71 percent were Hispanic, 0.86 percent were Asian, 0.23 percent were American Indian, and 1.64 percent were multiracial.
2007-08 Dropouts by Race

The majority of dropouts were black students, who also had the highest dropout rates, followed by Hispanic students, as shown in the next chart.

Dropout Rates by Race,
2006-07 and 2007-08
Race	2006-07	2007-08	% Change from 2006-07	
White	2.4%	1.9%	-0.5%	
Black	4.7%	3.6%	-1.1%	
Hispanic	3.9%	3.1%	-0.8%	
Asian	1.7%	1.0%	-0.7%	
Am. Indian	2.6%	2.1%	-0.5%	
Multiracial	2.3%	1.8%	-0.5%	
Total	3.3%	2.6%	-0.7%	

For each racial group, dropout rates were lower in 2007-08 than in 2006-07. The black, Hispanic, and Asian student populations showed the greatest reduction in dropout rate, from 4.7% in 2006-07 to 3.6% in 2007-08, from 3.9% to 3.1%, and from 1.7% to 1.0%, respectively.
Dropout rates also vary by gender group, with males having a higher percentage of dropouts than females.
Dropout Rates by Gender, 2007-08

Table 1: 2007-08 Dropout Rates
District	White 	Black 	Hispanic	Asian 	Am. Indian 	Multiracial	Female 	Male	All	
01	ALACHUA	2.7	5.0	3.1	2.5	10.0	2.2	3.1	4.1	3.6	
02	BAKER	1.9	1.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.7	1.8	1.8	
03	BAY	1.5	2.7	1.7	2.1	0.0	0.5	1.3	2.1	1.7	
04	BRADFORD	5.6	3.9	3.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	5.3	4.8	5.0	
05	BREVARD	0.6	0.8	0.8	0.6	0.0	0.8	0.5	0.8	0.7	
06	BROWARD	1.2	2.9	1.6	0.7	3.1	1.4	1.9	2.1	2.0	
07	CALHOUN	1.5	2.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.9	2.0	1.5	
08	CHARLOTTE	1.4	2.3	1.8	0.8	0.0	0.9	1.4	1.7	1.5	
09	CITRUS	1.8	1.1	1.0	1.1	0.0	0.7	1.2	2.1	1.7	
10	CLAY	1.7	3.9	1.2	0.3	0.0	2.7	1.6	2.4	2.0	
11	COLLIER	1.8	1.7	3.6	0.6	2.1	2.4	2.1	2.8	2.5	
12	COLUMBIA	0.5	1.1	0.0	0.0	9.1	1.4	0.7	0.6	0.6	
13	DADE	2.8	5.9	4.1	2.0	2.6	2.3	3.8	5.1	4.5	
14	DESOTO	3.1	1.5	6.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.2	3.5	3.4	
15	DIXIE	4.4	3.3	0.0	N/A	0.0	0.0	3.2	5.2	4.3	
16	DUVAL	3.3	3.4	4.0	1.5	1.3	2.4	3.0	3.7	3.3	
17	ESCAMBIA	2.2	6.6	4.1	0.4	3.4	2.2	3.8	4.2	4.0	
18	FLAGLER	0.7	2.1	0.7	0.9	0.0	1.6	0.8	1.2	1.0	
19	FRANKLIN	2.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	N/A	0.0	1.8	2.1	2.0	
20	GADSDEN	3.4	1.1	0.5	0.0	N/A	7.7	1.1	1.2	1.1	
21	GILCHRIST	0.6	0.0	5.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4	0.9	0.7	
22	GLADES	4.4	3.1	6.0	0.0	100.0	0.0	3.0	6.7	5.0	
23	GULF	1.5	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	1.9	1.3	
24	HAMILTON	3.1	5.8	4.7	0.0	N/A	0.0	4.0	4.9	4.4	
25	HARDEE	3.7	5.6	8.9	11.1	0.0	0.0	6.1	6.6	6.4	
26	HENDRY	3.2	2.8	5.1	0.0	0.0	3.7	3.9	4.1	4.0	
27	HERNANDO	2.8	3.3	2.4	1.3	3.8	1.8	2.3	3.2	2.8	
28	HIGHLANDS	4.0	4.2	4.8	4.7	0.0	1.5	3.2	5.1	4.2	
29	HILLSBOROUGH	1.4	2.2	2.1	0.6	0.9	1.8	1.6	1.9	1.8	
30	HOLMES	2.4	1.7	5.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.9	2.8	2.4	
31	INDIAN RIVER	1.1	2.7	1.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.1	1.6	1.3	
32	JACKSON	1.2	1.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.6	1.4	1.3	1.4	
33	JEFFERSON	4.7	5.3	0.0	N/A	N/A	20.0	2.9	8.7	5.3	
34	LAFAYETTE	2.1	2.6	8.1	0.0	N/A	0.0	3.2	2.4	2.8	
35	LAKE	3.1	2.9	3.8	1.2	0.0	0.9	2.7	3.4	3.1	
36	LEE	1.6	2.3	2.1	0.7	0.9	1.0	1.7	1.9	1.8	
37	LEON	1.2	3.5	1.1	0.4	0.0	1.1	1.8	2.4	2.1	
38	LEVY	3.1	2.4	3.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.0	3.8	2.9	
39	LIBERTY	0.0	0.0	0.0	N/A	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	
40	MADISON	3.2	6.0	9.1	0.0	66.7	0.0	4.6	5.4	5.1	
41	MANATEE	3.5	5.4	6.5	0.9	0.0	5.7	4.6	4.2	4.4	
42	MARION	2.8	3.7	3.8	0.0	10.7	2.2	2.9	3.3	3.1	
43	MARTIN	0.2	1.1	1.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.4	0.5	
44	MONROE	0.1	0.0	2.0	0.0	11.1	1.0	0.6	0.7	0.6	
45	NASSAU	3.6	3.5	3.3	2.9	7.1	0.0	3.1	3.9	3.5	
46	OKALOOSA	1.7	2.2	2.3	1.0	0.0	0.9	1.7	1.7	1.7	
47	OKEECHOBEE	5.2	3.6	6.4	0.0	8.7	0.0	4.6	5.8	5.2	
48	ORANGE	1.2	1.7	1.7	0.5	0.9	1.6	1.2	1.7	1.5	
49	OSCEOLA	2.2	2.9	2.9	2.0	5.0	3.2	1.9	3.4	2.7	
50	PALM BEACH	2.4	6.2	4.2	1.0	3.1	2.4	3.3	4.4	3.9	
51	PASCO	2.2	2.0	2.0	0.5	1.1	2.2	1.8	2.4	2.1	
52	PINELLAS	1.5	3.6	2.4	1.5	0.8	1.9	1.7	2.4	2.1	
53	POLK	3.5	4.1	4.4	1.7	1.4	3.2	3.6	4.0	3.8	
54	PUTNAM	4.9	7.4	6.7	0.0	0.0	7.1	5.8	5.6	5.7	
55	ST. JOHNS	1.3	1.9	1.3	0.0	0.0	0.7	1.0	1.7	1.3	
56	ST. LUCIE	0.8	1.8	1.6	1.3	0.0	2.0	1.4	1.3	1.3	
57	SANTA ROSA	1.9	1.2	2.3	1.2	0.0	3.4	1.5	2.1	1.9	
58	SARASOTA	1.8	3.7	3.4	0.9	4.3	1.4	1.8	2.4	2.1	
59	SEMINOLE	0.4	0.8	0.7	0.5	0.0	0.2	0.4	0.6	0.5	
60	SUMTER	1.6	2.1	2.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.9	1.7	1.8	
61	SUWANNEE	5.7	12.7	8.2	2.7	0.0	0.0	5.8	7.8	6.8	
62	TAYLOR	3.9	3.2	0.0	0.0	16.7	28.6	2.6	5.2	4.0	
63	UNION	1.1	1.5	0.0	0.0	N/A	0.0	1.6	0.8	1.2	
64	VOLUSIA	0.9	1.3	1.3	0.3	0.0	0.5	0.8	1.1	1.0	
65	WAKULLA	2.6	3.5	5.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.5	3.9	2.7	
66	WALTON	1.7	2.4	2.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.4	2.1	1.8	
67	WASHINGTON	2.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.7	1.7	1.7	
68	DEAF/BLIND	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	
69	DOZIER	1.1	1.3	3.3	0.0	N/A	N/A	N/A	1.3	1.3	
72	FAU LAB SCH	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	N/A	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	
73	FSU CHTR SCH	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	
74	FAMU LAB SCH	N/A	0.0	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	
75	UF LAB SCH	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	
	STATE	1.9	3.6	3.1	1.0	2.1	1.8	2.3	2.9	2.6	

Table 2: 2006-07 and 2007-08 Dropout Rates and Percent Change

District	2006-07 	2007-08	% Change	
01	ALACHUA	6.6	3.6	-3.0	
02	BAKER	2.8	1.8	-1.0	
03	BAY	2.5	1.7	-0.8	
04	BRADFORD	5.1	5.0	-0.1	
05	BREVARD	0.9	0.7	-0.2	
06	BROWARD	3.2	2.0	-1.2	
07	CALHOUN	3.2	1.5	-1.7	
08	CHARLOTTE	1.6	1.5	-0.1	
09	CITRUS	4.1	1.7	-2.4	
10	CLAY	2.3	2.0	-0.3	
11	COLLIER	2.7	2.5	-0.2	
12	COLUMBIA	2.3	0.6	-1.7	
13	DADE	5.8	4.5	-1.3	
14	DESOTO	4.2	3.4	-0.9	
15	DIXIE	4.4	4.3	-0.1	
16	DUVAL	5.2	3.3	-1.9	
17	ESCAMBIA	3.3	4.0	0.7	
18	FLAGLER	2.5	1.0	-1.5	
19	FRANKLIN	6.7	2.0	-4.7	
20	GADSDEN	5.4	1.1	-4.3	
21	GILCHRIST	1.4	0.7	-0.7	
22	GLADES	13.0	5.0	-8.0	
23	GULF	0.9	1.3	0.4	
24	HAMILTON	5.1	4.4	-0.6	
25	HARDEE	5.1	6.4	1.3	
26	HENDRY	3.0	4.0	1.0	
27	HERNANDO	3.3	2.8	-0.5	
28	HIGHLANDS	5.4	4.2	-1.2	
29	HILLSBOROUGH	1.6	1.8	0.2	
30	HOLMES	3.4	2.4	-1.0	
31	INDIAN RIVER	1.8	1.3	-0.4	
32	JACKSON	1.6	1.4	-0.3	
33	JEFFERSON	7.9	5.3	-2.6	
34	LAFAYETTE	2.3	2.8	0.6	
35	LAKE	4.5	3.1	-1.4	
36	LEE	2.4	1.8	-0.6	
37	LEON	3.6	2.1	-1.5	
38	LEVY	4.2	2.9	-1.3	
39	LIBERTY	0.4	0.0	-0.4	
40	MADISON	5.5	5.1	-0.4	
41	MANATEE	1.3	4.4	3.1	
42	MARION	3.3	3.1	-0.2	
43	MARTIN	0.6	0.5	0.0	
44	MONROE	1.2	0.6	-0.6	
45	NASSAU	4.2	3.5	-0.6	
46	OKALOOSA	1.8	1.7	-0.1	
47	OKEECHOBEE	5.3	5.2	-0.1	
48	ORANGE	1.7	1.5	-0.2	
49	OSCEOLA	4.2	2.7	-1.6	
50	PALM BEACH	4.4	3.9	-0.5	
51	PASCO	3.5	2.1	-1.4	
52	PINELLAS	3.4	2.1	-1.3	
53	POLK	4.2	3.8	-0.4	
54	PUTNAM	2.9	5.7	2.7	
55	ST. JOHNS	1.8	1.3	-0.5	
56	ST. LUCIE	2.0	1.3	-0.7	
57	SANTA ROSA	1.9	1.9	-0.1	
58	SARASOTA	2.7	2.1	-0.5	
59	SEMINOLE	1.5	0.5	-1.0	
60	SUMTER	2.7	1.8	-0.9	
61	SUWANNEE	5.2	6.8	1.6	
62	TAYLOR	4.7	4.0	-0.8	
63	UNION	1.8	1.2	-0.6	
64	VOLUSIA	1.3	1.0	-0.3	
65	WAKULLA	2.7	2.7	0.0	
66	WALTON	2.3	1.8	-0.5	
67	WASHINGTON	1.6	1.7	0.1	
68	DEAF/BLIND	0.0	0.0	0.0	
69	DOZIER	2.9	1.3	-1.6	
72	FAU LAB SCH	0.0	0.0	0.0	
73	FSU CHTR SCH	0.0	0.0	0.0	
74	FAMU LAB SCH	0.0	0.0	0.0	
75	UF LAB SCH	0.2	0.0	-0.2	
	STATE	3.3	2.6	-0.7