Author Description

Using retrieved historical data, the Toronto Board of Education's Research and Assessment Department undertook to examine long-term tracking outcomes of the 1981 cohort of Grade 1 students. These 4,195 students, who had entered the Toronto (Canada) schools in 1981, were followed for over 14 years. Students who followed the traditional schedule of entering an elementary school and progressing through its associated high school did quite well in that only 12% dropped out. However, these students accounted for only 15% of the total grade 1 cohort. Two-thirds of the grade 1 cohort transferred out of the Toronto schools while still in elementary school. This attrition seems to be shared by all Toronto schools. However, 9% of the total cohort re-entered the Toronto schools through enrolling in secondary school at some point. Most came back from another Ontario school district. These were the most at-risk students, with more dropping out (43%) than graduating (36%). In case 1981 was an atypical year, the cohort of 1987 was also studied. Somewhat less attrition was apparent, but fewer than half remained in the Toronto schools to make the transition to grade 9. Results indicate that nonlinear movement appears to be the experience of most students in the Toronto Board at some point. Student mobility, closely related to issues of accountability, is of great interest to the School Board. (Contains six tables, one figure, and six references.) (SLD).