Graduation Rate for High-school Falls

The percent of students earning a standard diploma in four years shifted from 69.2 percent in 2006 to 68.8 percent in 2007, according to an analysis of the most recent data in "Diplomas Count 2010." It was the second consecutive year of decline, says the report by Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center, a nonprofit in Bethesda, Md. That translates to 11,000 fewer graduates in 2007 than in 2006. At its peak in 1969, the national graduation rate was 77 percent.

(Minnesota Future Work note: The Diplomas Count 2010 Report stated the Minnesota graduation rate for all students of the class of 2007 was 77.2%.) On the more hopeful side, the report identifies 21 big-city "over achievers" that posted much higher graduation rates than would be expected based on a range of factors including demographics and poverty. Five districts outpaced expectations by 18 percentage points or more: Newport-Mesa Unified in California; David Douglas in Portland, Ore.; Texarkana Independent in Texas; Memphis City in Tennessee; and Visalia Unified in California.

"Diplomas Count" computes the percentage of public-school students who graduate with a standard high school diploma in four years by using a method known as the Cumulative Promotion Index, which enables comparisons across all districts.

Racial and ethnic gaps persist, the report notes. Forty-six percent of black students, 44 percent of Latinos, and 49 percent of native Americans did not earn a diploma in four years.

About one-fifth of the non-graduates are from 25 large school districts, including New York City; Los Angeles; and Clark County, Nev.

Source: Christian Science Monitor, Stacy Teicher Khadaroo, 6/10/10