States report new high school graduation rates using more accurate, common measure
U.S. Department of Education
November 26, 2012
The U.S. Department of Education released data detailing state four-year high school graduation rates in 2010-11 – the first year for which all states used a common, rigorous measure. The varying methods formerly used by states to report graduation rates made comparisons between states unreliable, while the new, common metric can be used by states, districts and schools to promote greater accountability and to develop strategies that will reduce dropout rates and increase graduation rates in schools nationwide.
The new, uniform rate calculation is not comparable in absolute terms to previously reported rates. Therefore, while 26 states reported lower graduation rates and 24 states reported unchanged or increased rates under the new metric, these changes should not be viewed as measures of progress but rather as a more accurate snapshot.
“By using this new measure, states will be more honest in holding schools accountable and ensuring that students succeed,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Ultimately, these data will help states target support to ensure more students graduate on time, college and career ready.”
The transition to a common, adjusted four-year cohort graduation rate reflects states’ efforts to create greater uniformity and transparency in reporting high school graduation data, and it meets the requirements of October 2008 federal regulations. A key goal of these regulations was to develop a graduation rate that provides parents, educators and community members with better information on their school’s progress while allowing for meaningful comparisons of graduation rates across states and school districts. The new graduation rate measurement also accurately accounts for students who drop out or who do not earn a regular high school diploma.
In 2011, states began individually reporting 2010-11 high school graduation rates, but this is the first time the Department has compiled these rates in one public document. These 2010-11 graduation rates are preliminary, state-reported data, and the Department plans to release final rates in the coming months. Beginning with data for the 2011-12 school year, graduation rates calculated using this new method will become a key element of state accountability systems, including for states that have been approved for ESEA flexibility.
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Regulatory Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate, All Students: 2010-11
By race
| State | Native Hawaiian or | |||||
| White | Black | Asian | Other Pacific Islander | Two or More Races | All Students | |
| Alabama | 78% | 63% | – | – | – | 72% |
| Alaska | 75% | 63% | 79% | 79% | 65% | 68% |
| Arizona | 85% | 74% | – | – | – | 78% |
| Arkansas | 84% | 73% | 80% | 80% | 82% | 81% |
| California | 85% | 63% | 90% | 90% | 65% | 76% |
| Colorado | 81% | 65% | 81% | 81% | – | 74% |
| Connecticut | 89% | 71% | – | – | – | 83% |
| Delaware | 82% | 73% | n< | n< | 93% | 78% |
| District of Columbia | 85% | 58% | n< | n< | – | 59% |
| Florida | 76% | 59% | 86% | 86% | – | 71% |
| Georgia | 76% | 60% | – | – | 69% | 67% |
| Hawaii | 78% | 77% | – | – | – | 80% |
| Idaho | † | † | † | † | † | † |
| Illinois | 89% | 74% | 92% | 92% | 81% | 84% |
| Indiana | 88% | 75% | 89% | 89% | 80% | 86% |
| Iowa | 90% | 73% | 89% | 89% | 82% | 88% |
| Kansas | 86% | 72% | 88% | 88% | 81% | 83% |
| Kentucky | † | † | † | † | † | † |
| Louisiana | 77% | 64% | n< | n< | 80% | 71% |
| Maine | 84% | 77% | n< | n< | 86% | 84% |
| Maryland | 89% | 76% | 93% | 93% | 91% | 83% |
| Massachusetts | 89% | 71% | 88% | 88% | 81% | 83% |
| Michigan | 80% | 57% | 87% | 87% | 69% | 74% |
| Minnesota | 84% | 49% | – | – | – | 77% |
| Mississippi | 82% | 68% | 89% | 89% | – | 75% |
| Missouri | 85% | 66% | 87% | 87% | 92% | 81% |
| Montana | 85% | 81% | 90% | 90% | – | 82% |
| Nebraska | 90% | 70% | 83% | 83% | – | 86% |
| Nevada | 71% | 43% | 73% | 73% | 80% | 62% |
| New Hampshire | 87% | 73% | n< | n< | 86% | 86% |
| New Jersey | 90% | 69% | 93% | 93% | 84% | 83% |
| New Mexico | 73% | 60% | – | – | – | 63% |
| New York | 86% | 64% | – | – | 79% | 77% |
| North Carolina | 83% | 72% | – | – | 77% | 78% |
| North Dakota | 90% | 74% | 88% | 88% | – | 86% |
| Ohio | 85% | 59% | – | – | 71% | 80% |
| Oklahoma | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oregon | 70% | 54% | 79% | 79% | 73% | 68% |
| Pennsylvania | 88% | 65% | – | – | 75% | 83% |
| Puerto Rico | † | † | † | † | † | † |
| Rhode Island | 82% | 67% | 75% | 75% | 77% | 77% |
| South Carolina | 77% | 70% | – | – | – | 74% |
| South Dakota | 88% | 73% | 84% | 84% | 87% | 83% |
| Tennessee | 89% | 78% | 91% | 91% | – | 86% |
| Texas | 92% | 81% | 95% | 95% | 92% | 86% |
| Utah | 80% | 61% | 72% | 72% | – | 76% |
| Vermont | – | – | – | – | – | 87% |
| Virginia | 86% | 73% | – | – | – | 82% |
| Washington | 79% | 65% | n< | n< | 73% | 76% |
| West Virginia | 77% | 72% | – | – | n< | 76% |
| Wisconsin | 91% | 64% | – | – | – | 87% |
| Wyoming | 82% | 58% | 91% | 91% | 77% | 80% |
† This symbol means not applicable.
– This symbol means data value was not available.
n< This symbol means that the data have been suppressed based on the state’s established data suppression rules.
# This symbol means data value rounds to zero.
‡ This symbol means reporting standards not met.
<3% This symbol means data value was less than 3%.
>97% This symbol means data value was greater than 97%.
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Regulatory Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate, Hispanic/Latino: 2010-11 1
By place of origin regardless of race. Race is identified above
| Alabama | 66% |
| Alaska | 62% |
| Arizona | 72% |
| Arkansas | 77% |
| California | 70% |
| Colorado | 60% |
| Connecticut | 64% |
| Delaware | 71% |
| District of Columbia | 55% |
| Florida | 69% |
| Georgia | 58% |
| Hawaii | 79% |
| Idaho | † |
| Illinois | 77% |
| Indiana | 81% |
| Iowa | 75% |
| Kansas | 73% |
| Kentucky | † |
| Louisiana | 70% |
| Maine | 87% |
| Maryland | 72% |
| Massachusetts | 62% |
| Michigan | 63% |
| Minnesota | 51% |
| Mississippi | 75% |
| Missouri | 75% |
| Montana | 78% |
| Nebraska | 74% |
| Nevada | 53% |
| New Hampshire | 73% |
| New Jersey | 73% |
| New Mexico | 59% |
| New York | 63% |
| North Carolina | 69% |
| North Dakota | 76% |
| Ohio | 66% |
| Oklahoma | – |
| Oregon | 58% |
| Pennsylvania | 65% |
| Puerto Rico | † |
| Rhode Island | 67% |
| South Carolina | 69% |
| South Dakota | 73% |
| Tennessee | 79% |
| Texas | 82% |
| Utah | 57% |
| Vermont | – |
| Virginia | 71% |
| Washington | 63% |
| West Virginia | 71% |
| Wisconsin | 72% |
| Wyoming | 74% |
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget currently defines “Hispanic or Latino” as “a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican (U.S.), Cuban, South American or Central American, or other Spanish language culture or origin, regardless of race”. The 2010 Census asked if the person was “Spanish/Hispanic/Latino”. One may be either white, Amerindian, black, Asian or of more than one race.
See link below to understand the difference between Hispanic/Latino and one’s racial classification
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Provisional Data File: SY2010-11 Four-Year Regulatory Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rates
State 2010-2011 graduation rate data pdf
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Total Number of Public School Districts: 2010-11
| National | 15,079 |
| Alabama | 132 |
| Alaska | 54 |
| Arizona | 593 |
| Arkansas | 256 |
| California | 1,020 |
| Colorado | 182 |
| Connecticut | 189 |
| Delaware | 37 |
| District of Columbia | 45 |
| Florida | 73 |
| Georgia | 194 |
| Hawaii | 1 |
| Idaho | 142 |
| Illinois | 867 |
| Indiana | 292 |
| Iowa | 359 |
| Kansas | 289 |
| Kentucky | 174 |
| Louisiana | 76 |
| Maine | 181 |
| Maryland | 25 |
| Massachusetts | 393 |
| Michigan | 573 |
| Minnesota | 532 |
| Mississippi | 152 |
| Missouri | 558 |
| Montana | 417 |
| Nebraska | 251 |
| Nevada | 17 |
| New Hampshire | 158 |
| New Jersey | 631 |
| New Mexico | 89 |
| New York | 896 |
| North Carolina | 115 |
| North Dakota | 179 |
| Ohio | 613 |
| Oklahoma | 529 |
| Oregon | 196 |
| Pennsylvania | 641 |
| Puerto Rico | 1 |
| Rhode Island | 53 |
| South Carolina | 87 |
| South Dakota | 152 |
| Tennessee | 136 |
| Texas | 1,220 |
| Utah | 118 |
| Vermont | 237 |
| Virginia | 132 |
| Washington | 295 |
| West Virginia | 55 |
| Wisconsin | 424 |
| Wyoming | 48 |
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Total Federal Funding for Elementary and Secondary Education Programs: FY 2011
National $35,284,810,647
Alabama $525,714,640
Alaska $256,171,714
Arizona $833,896,324
Arkansas $351,597,859
California $3,951,166,409
Colorado $427,092,255
Connecticut $313,107,570
Delaware $109,281,467
District of Columbia $98,329,917
Florida $1,763,831,937
Georgia $1,107,387,552
Hawaii $165,073,599
Idaho $158,152,915
Illinois $1,469,255,977
Indiana $651,436,619
Iowa $261,609,062
Kansas $318,648,005
Kentucky $507,848,317
Louisiana $637,516,701
Maine $147,961,178
Maryland $491,946,729
Massachusetts $632,230,327
Michigan $1,201,858,158
Minnesota $472,182,278
Mississippi $412,436,167
Missouri $624,961,273
Montana $164,148,558
Nebraska $205,190,137
Nevada $223,768,452
New Hampshire $124,013,950
New Jersey $837,872,852
New Mexico $363,965,275
New York $2,486,550,871
North Carolina $933,255,959
North Dakota $122,491,144
Ohio $1,264,690,642
Oklahoma $454,590,246
Oregon $372,445,477
Pennsylvania $1,245,950,594
Puerto Rico $814,103,686
Rhode Island $129,981,117
South Carolina $504,345,031
South Dakota $164,148,719
Tennessee $647,961,840
Texas $3,159,479,179
Utah $258,833,708
Vermont $91,631,212
Virginia $703,262,031
Washington $622,041,916
West Virginia $221,401,367
Wisconsin $554,937,164
Wyoming $104,944,406
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Video: PBS Drop-out crisis and how it impacts the United States
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Video: Educating Black Boys -Al Jazeera Correspondent
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Video: Latinos group with highest drop-out rates
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Video: Racial integration of Central High School with Little Rock 1957
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Dilemma X 
November 27, 2012
Educational