FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2008                         

Jonathan Burman or Tom Dunn
Internet:  http://www.nysed.gov

NEW GRADUATION RESULTS RELEASED FOR HIGH SCHOOLS STATEWIDE

            Statewide high school graduation results reported by school districts and released today show that:

• Statewide, almost 69 percent of the students who started 9th grade in 2003 had graduated after 4 years, by June 2007. This is almost 3 percentage points higher than for students two years before.
• For the first time, the State Education Department is able to collect data showing graduation rates in August. Statewide, 71 percent of the students who started 9th grade in 2003 had graduated by August 2007.
• A fifth year of high school makes a difference for many students. Among students who started 9th grade in 2002, 73 percent had graduated by 2007, an increase of six percentage points or 13,000 more students during the fifth year.
• The 4-year graduation rate of African-American students increased from 45 to 51 percent between 2005 and 2007, although it remains far too low and far below the rate of white students. Also, more Black students are staying in school.
• The 4-year graduation rate of Hispanic students increased from 42 to 47 percent between 2005 and 2007, although it also remains far too low. Also, more Hispanic students are staying in school.
• A fifth year makes a significant difference for Black and Hispanic students. About 10 percent more graduated in the fifth year.
• New York City has increased its 4-year graduation rate from 46.5 percent in 2005 to 52 percent in 2007. Almost 10 percent more students graduated in the fifth year.
• The 4-year graduation rate for students with disabilities has declined, although more students are staying in school and not dropping out. Graduation rates are especially low in high need districts.
• The 4-year graduation rate for English Language Learners is also low and declining.

            “Graduation rates have improved slightly overall, but they need to improve much faster,” Regents Chancellor Robert M. Bennett said. “Students must graduate and continue their education to ensure their lifetime earnings will support themselves and their families. The potential is there. Resources have increased, and will increase again this coming year. School leaders and teachers must use practices that work, create better connections between middle and high school, and call on higher education and business to partner. This will be a major issue for the Board of Regents this coming year.”

“Too many do not graduate, yet the three year trends are encouraging,” State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said.  “Black and Hispanic students showed 5.5 and 5.2 percentage point gains in the 2003 cohort when compared to those who started ninth grade in 2001.  White students improved too, but not as fast – another indicator of a narrowing achievement gap.  Each cohort did better than the one before, and within cohorts, the fifth and sixth year results show a still greater proportion of the class graduating.  Persistence counts. Even the June to August improvements are promising. Teachers and principals combined pressure and support during the summer months to get another 5,500 students over the bar last August.”

Commissioner Mills went on to say, “The many examples of improvement don’t yet outweigh the remaining challenges, but there are enough of them to demonstrate that thousands more children have graduated than just a few years ago and more will graduate in the years immediately ahead. We have to keep our focus and urgency and help the students who still are not succeeding.”

            Statewide results and results for the Big 5 Cities and for other categories and groups of students are included in the attached slides.

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