May 7, 2014 - Last fall Amarillo ISD reported that Texas high schools had set an all-time high in on-time graduation rates, reaching 87.7 percent for the class of 2012. In a report released this week by the U.S. Department of Education, only Iowa posted a higher graduation rate than did Texas for the class of 2012. Texas, with a graduation rate of nearly 88 percent, tied for second place nationally, along with Nebraska, Vermont and Wisconsin.
In addition, the federal report showed Texans in the class of 2012 had the highest graduation rate in the country among African American students, and tied for the highest graduation rates for white and economically disadvantaged students.
According to the First Look report from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, the national high school graduation rate hit 79 percent for the class of 2011, and 80 percent for the class of 2012.
For the class of 2012, Texas’ graduation rates in almost every key demographic ranked either first, second, or third, when compared to other states. AISD maintains similar graduation rates to the state.
|
Class of 2012
|
Amarillo ISD
|
Texas
|
United States
|
Texas Rank
|
|
All Students
|
87%
|
88%
|
80%
|
2nd (tie)
|
|
White
|
91%
|
93%
|
86%
|
1st (tie)
|
|
Hispanic
|
85%
|
84%
|
73%
|
2nd
|
|
African American
|
85%
|
84%
|
69%
|
1st
|
|
Economically Disadvantaged
|
85%
|
85%
|
72%
|
1st (tie)
|
|
Students with Disabilities
|
80%
|
77%
|
61%
|
3rd (tie)
|
|
Percentages have been rounded to nearest whole number.
|
|
Texas’ success in improved graduation rates should not be greeted with disbelief, according to Lili Allen, a policy director at Jobs for the Future, a Boston-based nonprofit which funds research on college and career readiness for low-income students.
“Texas has really invested pretty heavily in really reinventing the high school experience for students,” Allen said. “It’s been under the radar as an engine of high school reform that has been pretty impressive from our perspective.”
According to Amarillo High Cluster Director Christina Ritter, statewide dropout and graduation rates have improved because our district and campuses have implemented programs “to meet the emotional and academic challenges students face.” AISD is working closely with students who need “accelerated instruction and intervention” so they may be successful.
First Look:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014391.pdf.
Texas Academic Performance Report:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/tapr/2013/srch.html?srch=D
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