Most states show increase in high school graduation rates

The report is an important first look at preliminary graduation rates reported by states for the 2013-14 school year.

The rate of New Jersey students crossing the graduation stage is continuing to increase, according to preliminary numbers released by the U.S. Department of Education on Monday.

The vast majority of states – 36 – saw increases in overall graduation rates, while 6 states saw decreases and another 8 saw no change since 2012-13.

Maine has been undergoing two major educational policy changes in recent years that influence graduation rates.

Alabama students with limited English proficiency had the biggest graduation rate increase, 23 percent, followed by Hispanic/Latino students – an 11 percent increase. That bumped the rate up about 4 percentage points.

A state press release said that all states continue to increase high school graduation rates and narrow the gap for traditionally underserved students, including low-income students, minority students, students with disabilities and English-learners.

Kelly Carlisle, assistant superintendent of the Salem-Keizer School District, said the district’s four-year graduation rate has been better than the state’s average rate for the past four years. Iowa had the highest at 90.5 percent.

According to state officials, in the class of 2014, almost 1,600 more Louisiana students graduated than did in the class of 2013, and almost 3,440 more students than in 2011.

He and his successor, John King, also said Monday that rising graduation rates are evidence that the Obama administration’s education policies are working, and that Congress should stay the course as it works on rewriting No Child Left Behind, the main federal education law. A few states ignore dropouts who attended high school in their state for less than a full term, for example, they said. But the federal government puts most of its emphasis on getting students to graduate in four years. Its graduation rate for Asian students, 86 percent, tied for No. 7 worst.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan says the nation appears to be on track to take another step toward higher graduation rates.