Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic. Annual Update 2015
Author: DePaoli, Jennifer L.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: High School Students,Graduation Rate,Dropouts,Achievement Gains,Geographic Regions,Metropolitan Areas,Urban Areas,Minority Group Students,Low Income,Disabilities,Special Needs Students,Educational Policy,State Policy,Enrollment Trends,Race,Ethnicity,Tables (Data),School Districts,School District Size,Elementary Secondary Education,Trend Analysis,Educational Trends,Definitions,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Program Descriptions,Educational Principles,Data Analysis

In 2013, the national high school graduation rate hit a record high of 81.4 percent, and for the third year in a row, the nation remained on pace to meet the 90 percent goal by the Class of 2020. This sixth annual update on America's high school dropout challenge shows that these gains have been made possible by raising graduation rates for students who have traditionally struggled to earn a high school diploma, and focuses on the student subgroups and geographic areas that both contribute to this progress and are key to driving toward the 90 percent goal. This report discusses 5 drivers that contribute to the challenge: (1) Low-Income Students; (2) Minority Students; (3) Students with Disabilities; (4) Big Cities/Big Districts; and (5) Big States. This document provides policy recommendations at the end of each section, and includes a compiled list of further federal and state policy recommendations at the end of the report. The following are appended: (1) Number of High Schools by Different Levels of Promoting Power, 2002-2013; (2) Change of High Schools with Promoting Power of 60 Percent or Less by Locale, 2002-2013; (3) High Schools and Student Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity with an Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR, 2012) below 67 Percent; (4) Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) Gap Change, by Subgroup and State from 2010-11 to 2012-13; (5) Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) Gaps, by Subgroup and State, 2012-13; (6) Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rates (ACGR), by State and Subgroup, 2012-13; (7) Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR) and Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR), by State, 2003-2013; (8) Estimated Additional Graduates Needed by Class of 2020 to Reach 90 Percent, by State and Subgroup; (9) Top-500 Largest School Districts, Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) Change, Total K-12 Enrollment with Enrollment of Students Attending Schools with a City Locale Code, and Percentages of K-12 Race/Ethnicity for Schools within the District with any Locale Code, 2012-13; (10) Four or More Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) Public Availability, by State, Classes of 2011-2014; (11) Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) Data Links, by State; (12) Frequently Used Terms and Definitions; (13) Graduation Rate FAQ; (14) GradNation Campaign Letter on ESEA Reauthorization; (15) Civic Marshall Plan Principles; and (16) Key Programs of the GradNation Campaign. [Data analysis for this report was performed by Mark Pierson and Vaughan Byrnes. Target was a supporting sponsor of this publication.]