US High School Graduation Rate Hits 80% for first time

The high school graduation rate in the US has hit an all-time high: 80 percent. That means four out of five students who started high school successfully graduated in four years.

And progress is accelerating, driven by gains from black and Hispanic students since 2006. Still, the national figure, released today for the 2011-12 school year, hides signification variation among and within the states.

Missouri and Arkansas both have an 81 percent graduation rate, according to the report (attached) In Missouri, the lowest graduation rate is among students with limited English proficiency.

Reuters reports the Obama administration has credited its Race to the Top competitive grant program with raising the graduation rates.

The Race to the Top grant program was part of the president’s 2009 economic stimulus package and was designed to encourage reforms in K-12 education. Under the program, states and schools compete for federal grants. Those that win are expected to come up with innovative ways to boost performance and with ways to measure the improvement.

Critics of Race to the Top have said that program widens the gap between higher-performing schools and lower-performing ones because schools that are already successful to begin with may have an edge over struggling schools in putting together winning bids.

Agencies/Canadajournal