Here is a recent report on national graduation rates from The Center for Public Education (www.centerforpubliceducation.org). It is disappointing to see that Nebraska is one of ten states that had a lower graduation rate in 2009 than in 2001. Bancroft-Rosalie issued 31 diplomas at last nights graduation ceremony, but we won't have a 100% graduation rate because the rate includes students that stopped attending high school. I support increasing the mandatory age of attendance to age 18.
Report: High school graduation rate climbing nationwide.
According to the report, the U.S. high school on-time graduation rate increased from 72 percent in 2001 to 75.5 percent in 2009.
Ten other states made significant gains in their graduation rates during this same time period: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin.
On the other hand, 10 states actually had lower graduation rates in 2009 than in 2001: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Utah.
Wisconsin is the only state with a 90 percent graduation rate.
What’s Working
• Getting more students to read by the fourth grade. This is an early indicator of whether a student will eventually graduate.
• Establishing early warning indicator and intervention systems to predict potential dropouts. (One-third of states currently collect all the data needed to implement such a system).
• Sixteen states report no plans to implement an early warning system.
• Provide sustained and quality adult and peer support to all students who want and need the support.
• Massachusetts and Minnesota along with several other states and districts have established mentoring programs to promote student success with good results.
• Raising the compulsory school attendance age coupled with support for struggling students. (Of the states with graduation rates above the national average, nearly two-thirds require students to be in school until age 17 or 18 or until they graduate).
• Provide all students (including those who have dropped out) clear pathways from high school to college and career training.
• Ten states are now implementing innovative, high-impact reforms to boost student postsecondary successes in this area.
