During the same time period, the average secondary school size fell from 720 to 695. At its highest point in 1968-69, there were 77 graduates for every 100 persons 17 years of age. This ratio declined during the 1970s, falling to 71 in 1979- 80. The ratio has risen slightly in the 1990s, reaching 73 in 1994-95. The dropout rate has continued to fall, reaching 10.5 percent in 1994.
Student achievement is also mixed.
The results of trends in average writing achievement from 1984 to 1992 reveal a dramatic shift at grade 8. After declining between 1984 and 1990, average performance increased in 1992 beyond the original 1984 level. There were no significant changes in overall writing performance at grade 11. Results from national assessments of mathematics achievement found that at ages 9 and 13, significant improvement was observed between 1973 and 1992. Of the 37 jurisdictions participating in both years, none showed a significant decline.