More of the stateโs high school students are enrolling in Arizonaโs public universities immediately following graduation, a new report from the Arizona Board of Regents shows.
About 1,127 more students enrolled in Arizonaโs university system, which includes University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University, in the fall semester, the report says. Thatโs a 9.4 percent increase from the previous year.
The 2014-2015 Arizona High School Report Card is designed to help the stateโs high schools better prepare their students for post-secondary education. It does not include data for out-of-state and for-profit universities.
โThe report card certainly shows a positive trend,โ said Eileen Klein, president of the Regents board.
โIf youโre looking at workforce demands of the future, itโs encouraging to know that more students are going to college.โ
The report also showed that more high school students are prepared to do well in college.
About 84 percent of the students were admitted to Arizonaโs universities without academic deficiencies, compared to about 83 percent in fall 2013 and 80 percent in 2011, the report showed.
Students who come to college better-prepared are more likely to get a degree, Klein said.
Catalina Foothills High School was among 15 Arizona high schools, and the only Tucson-area school, with the highest percentage of graduates who immediately enrolled in Arizonaโs public universities.
About 55 percent of Catalina Foothills graduates enrolled, the report said. The only school to have topped that was Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, with about 64 percent.
Foothills has a rigorous graduation requirement that is much more strict than the state-mandated minimum, Mary Jo Conery, associate superintendent of the Catalina Foothills School District, said in an email.
The curriculum is also rigorous, research-based, teacher-developed and constantly under revision and improvement, she said.
โThis way, we ensure that students who progress through our system participate in a coherent program that prepares them for high school success and post-secondary options,โ she said.
