According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, racial gaps in high school graduation rates are narrowing.
Federal data found that "high school students overall are graduating at a higher rate than ever before, and new data from the Department of Education show the same is true for minority students," according to an article on USNews.com.
"Nearly every racial and ethnic subgroup has seen a growth in graduation rates that outpaces that of white students – a sign that the achievement gap is incrementally closing," the article said.
According to the article, "the graduation rates for black and Hispanic students increased by 3.7 and 4.2 percentage points, respectively, in two years, compared with 2.6 percentage points for white students."
"American Indian students, as well as students from low-income backgrounds, those with limited English-language proficiency and students with disabilities saw graduation rates increase at a faster pace than the rate of white students overall, as well as faster than the national average," the article said. "Only Asian/Pacific Islander students saw slower graduation growth than white students."
The article said that the "largest gains occurred among American Indian students."
"In the 2010-11 school year, the group had a graduation rate of 65 percent. By 2012-13, the graduation rate was 69.7 percent – a two-year increase of nearly 5 percentage points," the article said.
"The hard work of America’s educators, families, communities and students is paying off. This is a vital step toward readiness for success in college and careers for every student in this country," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan in a statement. "While these gains are promising, we know that we have a long way to go in improving educational opportunities for every student – no matter their ZIP code – for the sake of our young people and our nation’s economic strength."
Read the full story and comment below.
Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor
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