Kentucky Graduation Rate Increases Confirmed in Report

The national high school graduation rate stagnated around 74 percent between 2002 and 2006, but in "twelve states, which can serve as models for the nation, the gains were substantial," according to a new study at Johns Hopkins University.

The report, released by the Everyone Graduates Center, found the largest gain was in Tennessee, where the rate rose from 61 percent to 72 percent.

Gains in these states ranged from an 11.2 percentage point gain in Tennessee to a 3.0 percentage point gain in New Hampshire.

The 12 states (listed from largest to smallest gains) are: Tennessee, Delaware, Kentucky, South Dakota, Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina, New York, Hawaii, Missouri, Nebraska, and New Hampshire.

Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, New York and North Carolina stand out as states that made good gains, produced significantly more graduates in 2006 than 2002 and saw a decline in the number of high schools with weak promoting power (the nation’s dropout factories) and a gain in the number of high schools with high promoting power.

This progress, however, must be tempered with the acknowledgement that except for Kentucky all of these states still have overall graduation rates below the national average.

Table 1 - State Progress Toward Raising Graduation Rates from (2002 to 2006): Top 25%

The study examined national and statewide progress in raising the high school graduation rate between 2002 and 2006. This is the most recent period for which comparable data across states is available. The period also saw growing awareness of low graduation rates and high dropout rates in many communities across the country, coupled with a marked increase in philanthropic investment and activity among states and school districts, as well as advocacy and social change organizations seeking effective responses to these challenges.

The overall national graduation rate remained essentially flat between 2002 and 2006, at approximately 74 percent.

This period did see a 3 percentage point improvement in promoting power (i.e., the timely progress of students from 9th to 12th grade). Those gains in promoting power were offset, however, by a 3 percentage point decline in the ratio of seniors to diplomas awarded (i.e., the extent to which 12th graders obtain diplomas).

There also was a near 10 percent decline in the number of high schools with weak promoting power, that is, the nation’s dropout factories.

Overall, 300,000 fewer students attended weak promoting power high schools at the end of 2006 than in 2002. Gains were greatest among minority students.

What the analysis of national and state level progress between 2002 and 2006 shows is that the nation’s initial response to its recognition of a graduation rate challenge was not sufficient. The nation as a whole did not move forward, and only one out of three states made measurable progress. The states that did progress show that improvement, indeed substantial improvement, is possible. They challenge other states to match or exceed their efforts.

The good news is the nation is responding.

The last few years have seen both an acceleration of efforts and the beginning of more comprehensive approaches. It has also become clear that the federal government needs to play a more active role. At the close of 2008 the U.S. Department of Education issued regulations aimed at greatly increasing graduation rate accountability. All states must employ accurate graduation rate measures by 2012, establish ambitious graduation rate goals, and require substantial and continuous progress toward those goals for all students as well as subgroups.

President Obama has made it a national mission to insure that all students graduate from high school prepared for, and then enroll in, post-secondary schooling or advanced career training.

SOURCE: The Everyone Graduates Center