High school Graduation rates are on the rise in the tri-state area.
A new report finds New Jersey's high school graduation rate is the highest of the three states followed by Pennsylvania and Delaware. But a national study released Monday by America's Promise and other education groups finds the state's low-income students are graduating at a lower rate than others.
The study finds that 86 percent of New Jersey students who entered the ninth grade in 2008 went on to graduate in 2012. That rate is among the Top 11 in the nation and is 6 points higher than the national rate.
Seventy-five percent of New Jersey low-income students graduate, compared with 90 percent of others. That 15-point gap is the same as the national average. The state had 21 “dropout factory” schools in 2012, three less than it had in 2002.
Delaware’s graduation rate has also improved over the years
In 2011, 78.5 percent of students were graduating from high school, but as of 2012 the rate increased to 80 percent which is the same as the national average.
Pennsylvania’s rate of 84 is between Delaware and New Jersey and Department of Education officials are hoping to bring the rate even higher.
Spokesman Tim Eller says the agency is introducing a new system to make it easier for educators to identify and help youngsters at risk of dropping out.
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Eller says new performance profiles for individual schools will also draw attention to those with dropout problems.
The "Building a Grad Nation" report released Monday shows that in 2012, the latest year for which data is available, schools nationwide posted the highest graduation rate ever.
For the first time, the report says, the national high school graduation rate has hit 80 percent. Researchers project a 90 percent rate by 2020.
Iowa had the highest high school graduation rate at 89 percent while Nevada had the lowest at 63 percent.
