Dive Brief:

• The U.S. graduation rate has reached a new peak of 81%, according to data for the 2012-13 school year released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Since 2010, states have been recording four-year graduation rates so they can make accurate comparisons. The 81% figure is the highest national average since the data started being recorded four years ago, when the average was 79%.
• Iowa has the highest graduation rate (90%), while DC has the lowest (62%).

Dive Insight:

This current batch of data does not break down graduation rates by subgroups, but the U.S. Department of Education says that should be coming in the next few weeks.

On Wednesday, the Schott Foundation for Public Education released "Black Lives Matter," a report that broke down stats such as graduation rates and suspension rates among black male students in the states. According to their data, DC and Nevada had the lowest graduation rates for black boys (48%), so the fact that DC has an overall poor graduation rate is not surprising. The Schott Foundation found that while 80% of white boys are graduating from high school, only 59% of black boys are — a discrepancy that shows that while the U.S. Department of Education may be celebrating jumps in its overall graduation rate, there is still quite a way to go before true equity is occurring within all schools.

To understand the trends, the Schott Foundation says it's necessary to dig into the systemic climate and quality matters that affect graduation rates. Climate matters include the role high suspension rates play into low graduation rates, and the foundation points to the fact that, nationally, 15% of black males receive out of school suspension compared to only 5% of white males. As they say, "You cannot teach students who are not in school."

On the quality side, the achievement gap comes up. NAEP proficiency scores from 2013  13% of black males were proficient in math compared to 45% of white males. Some suggestions for changing this current trajectory include: collecting and reporting data so nobody slips through the cracks, finding ways to meet the individual learning needs of students, providing role models for students, and opting for more restorative practices over punishment. Ultimately, the study highlights not just racial divisions in opportunity in the US, but the bigger and devastating realities of poverty and how it affects future outcomes and possibilities.

Recommended Reading

The Huffington Post: U.S. High School Graduation Rate Reaches High Of 81 Percent