BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama had the second highest increase in high school graduation rates last year, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Alabama’s graduation rate was 86.3 percent for the 2013-14 school year, up from 80 percent for the 2012-13 school year. Alabama’s 6.3 percentage point increase comes second only to the state of Delaware’s 6.6 percentage point increase from 80.4 to 87 percent.
Alabama being a leader in the nation’s increase of high school graduation rates comes from many efforts of improvement, such as an increase in high quality teachers and various education initiatives across the state. Alabama State Superintendent Dr. Tommy Brice says that the success of the state as a whole is credited to the efforts made by the local school systems to raise graduation rates.
“We could not be more pleased with the results that were released today by the U.S. Department of Education, and I give 100 percent of the attribute of making that happen to our local school systems,” said Dr. Bice. “We encourage each local school system and the schools within those systems to come up with as many innovative plans as they can and we’ll try to work with them to differentiate support and resources so they can make those plans a reality. That’s why this has worked.”
The report also reveals that Alabama saw increases in high school graduation rates for students of all races and ethnicity, as well as for students with limited English proficiency or who are economically disadvantaged. The only decrease for Alabama’s rates this year was for children with disabilities.
“It all goes back to expectations. Our expectation is that every child graduate from high school without exception,” Bice said.
Alabama’s graduation rates categories for the 2013-14 school year:
- Total: 86.3 percent
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 88 percent
- Asian/Pacific Islander: 91 percent
- Black: 84 percent
- Hispanic/Latino: 85 percent
- Two or more races: 82 percent
- White: 87.8 percent
- Children with disabilities: 64.4 percent
- Economically disadvantaged: 81.5 percent
- Limited English proficient: 67 percent
The nation’s current overall graduation rate is 81 percent, making Alabama’s high school graduation rate higher than the national average. However, the increase of high school graduation rates just spur the state on to pursue more efforts to achieve further success in Alabama education.
“Now that we are having more kids graduate, we also need to make sure when they do graduate they are prepared for two-year college, four-year college, work. So just graduating isn’t the only step,” Bice said.
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