Arkansas high school graduation rates persist
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Arkansas' high school graduation rates have kept up despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The big picture: A record share of American high schoolers graduated on time in 2022, yet some states lag, per a new report from the GRAD Partnership, a group of nine education organizations.
- The impact of COVID-19 on education is still playing out.
By the numbers: The on-time graduation rate in Arkansas for the school year ending in 2022 was 88.2%. That's up from 80.7% in 2011.
- Nationally, 86.6% of U.S. high schoolers graduated on time in spring 2022, up from 79% in 2011.
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 out: All but five states have seen graduation rates increase since 2011. The states that have seen rates drop are Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Vermont.
Caveat: Graduation rates are only one measure of educational success, and may not account for differing standards or policies between states.
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.