High school graduation rates ticked up in a majority of states in 2014, and graduation gaps between white and minority students narrowed in most states that year, according to new federal data.
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The National Center for Education Statistics is expected to release final graduation rate data, which will include the nation’s newest graduation rates, in coming months, according to the U.S. Department of Education. States with the biggest gains were Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Oregon and West Virginia, the Education Department reported.
Oregon’s high-school graduation rates increased slightly to 72 percent a year ago, beating out just four other states in the U.S.
However, Oregon’s increase in graduation rates was third-greatest during this period.
John King, who will become acting secretary upon Duncan’s departure, praised state improvements but said, “We still worry that too many kids are trapped in schools that are struggling, and those schools need support to get better”.
Twenty-eight states saw the gap between black and white students close between those years, and a whopping 32 states saw it close between white and Hispanic students.
Economically disadvantaged students also saw an increase from 74 to 81 percent, while the graduation rate among children with disabilities rose from 60 to 68 percent.
Five states had declines: Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
The Education Department says preliminary data indicate 36 states saw higher graduation rates for the 2013-2014 school year. Its graduation rate for Asian students, 86 percent, tied for No. 7 worst.
The District of Columbia ranked last with a 61.4 percent rate while Iowa led the nation with 90.5 percent of students finishing secondary school. “While these gains are promising, we know that we have a long way to go in improving educational opportunities for every student – no matter their zip code – for the sake of our young people and our nation’s economic strength”. Idaho did not have complete numbers to report.
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Nationally, New York ranked in the bottom dozen states. The new data reflect that more accurate measure.
