The percentage of 2012 Durango High School graduates who required remedial assistance in at least one subject after enrolling in college was higher than in the previous two years.

A report released this week by the Colorado Department of Higher Education showed that 32 of 92 DHS graduates in 2012 – 34.8 percent – needed remedial instruction.

The figure compares to 30.9 percent of 2011 graduates and 34.6 of 2010 graduates.

Statistics aren’t available yet for 2013 graduates.

In response, Durango School District 9-R Superintendent Dan Snowberger said: “Durango 9-R continues to monitor the achievement of all students. Unfortunately, the remedial data for our graduating classes is unstable, as it is for most districts across the state.

“While our 2011 cohort showed significant decline, our 2012 cohort of graduates has a remedial level similar to that of 2010.

“It is our intent to continue to provide opportunities to fill important academic gaps for students prior to graduation which will address the need for students to require remediation upon leaving our district.”

Remedial courses cost students time and money but don’t count for credit, the report said.

But there is good news. Statewide, 37 percent of 2012 high school graduates were placed in remedial classes, compared with 40 percent of 2011 graduates.

The trend was more pronounced at Bayfield High School. There, 11 of 21 seniors – 52.4 percent – who enrolled in college after graduating in 2012 required remedial work in at least one subject. The percentage of 2011 graduates was 39.5, and the percentage of 2010 graduates was 43.5.

The only statistics given for Ignacio High School were the percentage of 2011 graduates who took remedial work – 36.4 – and the percentage of 2010 graduates – 46.7.

Among other points made in the report:

Almost 78 percent of Hispanic students enrolled in two-year colleges required remedial instruction, compared to 38 percent who enrolled in four-year schools.

Fifty-nine percent of students who received free or reduced-price lunches needed remedial classes, compared with 31 percent of other students.

Most students required make-up instruction in math, followed by writing and reading.

For the first time, students at community colleges who took remedial instruction had higher first-year retention rates than students who didn’t take remedial work.

About 62 percent of all remedial courses were completed successfully by 2012 high school graduates, an increase from 59 percent of graduates from the year before.

daler@durangoherald.com