High school graduation rates are up — but not everywhere
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A record share of American high schoolers graduated on time in 2022, yet some states lag, per a new analysis.
Why it matters: The impact of COVID-19 on education is still playing out, but the long-term picture is a big success.
Driving the news: 86.6% of U.S. high schoolers graduated on time in spring 2022, up from 79% in 2011.
- That's according to a report from the GRAD Partnership, a group of nine education organizations.
How it works: The report is based on Department of Education data and examines the adjusted cohort graduation rate.
- Essentially, that's the percentage of high school freshmen who graduate within four years; the rate has been collected since the 2010-11 school year.
Zoom in: Some states saw remarkable progress: 91.2% of West Virginia high schoolers graduated on time in 2022, up 14.7 percentage points from 2011.
Yes, but: A handful are backsliding: Only 77.3% of Arizona high schoolers graduated on time in 2022, for instance, down 0.6 percentage points from 2011.
- There's evidence of at least a temporary blip around the pandemic: "In 2020, there were 10 states with graduation rates of 90% or higher, but only five in 2022," per the report.
Between the lines: From 2011 to 2022, the nationwide growth rates for Black students (+14.1 percentage points), Hispanic students (+11.8), and Native American students (+6.7) all outpaced that of white students (+5.9).
- There's also been progress for low-income students (+11.4), English learners (+15.1), and students with disabilities (+12.3).
Caveat: Graduation rates are only one measure of educational success, and may not account for differing standards or policies between states.
- Case in point: "Many states, districts, and schools waived some high school graduation requirements or eased academic pressures on students during the pandemic," as the report points out.
What's next: It's still too early to tell whether remote learning and social distancing will hurt the long-term success of students who spent their pandemic years in elementary school, the report warns.
