Schools across the country are seeing an increasing number of students with disabilities graduating from high school, reaching nearly 62 percent during the 2012-2013 school year.

The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics said "the nation’s overall high school graduation rate reached a record-high of 81 percent in 2012-2013," according to an article on DisabilityScoop.com.

"Despite the gains, however, graduation rates for students with disabilities varied tremendously from one state to the next. Mississippi reported a low of 22.5 percent while Arkansas toppd the list with over 80 percent of students with disabilities receiving diplomas," the article said. "The data accounts for the number of students nationwide who obtained a high school diploma within four years. Students who completed an individualized education program but did not earn a traditional diploma and those who were held back a grade were not included."

According to the article, "in addition to students with disabilities, the Education Department data also pointed to lower graduation rates among blacks and Hispanics, those from low-income households and students with limited English proficiency."

“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,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in the article.

According to the article, "President Barack Obama emphasized the need for continued investment in education in order to see further improvements."

“Making sure that we’ve got high standards and high expectations for all our kids, and making sure that we are providing the resources to teachers and principals to meet those high standards. That’s going to be important,” Obama said in the article. “Making sure that we are investing in special education and English learning for large portions of our student population that may need extra help. That’s going to be critically important.”

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor