Graduating from high school is a milestone that you remember all your life. More than that, it is crucial to success as an adult. That is why the numbers that the State Education Department released last week on the climbing public high school graduation rates in our city were such highly encouraging news for all New Yorkers.
During the last full school year, the four-year graduation rate hit a new record high of nearly 63 percent. That is the latest, strong evidence of the remarkable progress our schools have made since our education reforms began in 2002.
Since then, it has climbed year after year – up 27 percent in the past five school years alone. Over those past five years, more than 11,000 additional young people who otherwise would not have earned their high school diplomas did so – and went into the world ready for higher education and the workforce.
During those same years, we also cut the dropout rate nearly in half. That translates into more than 7,000 more students whose chances for success and happiness in adult life increased because they stayed in school.
Last week’s graduation numbers included two other pieces of good news. First, during 2009 more of our students than ever – nearly 45 percent – earned Regents diplomas – up from 41 percent in 2008 and way up from 30 percent in 2005.
Receiving a Regents diploma requires passing statewide tests in five or more subject areas. Moreover, if you do that, it is generally understood that you are prepared for college-level work.
The second piece of good news is that students from every major ethnic group in our city continued to show consistent progress toward the goal of graduating within four years. In fact, for the first time ever the four-year graduation rate for Hispanic students broke the 50 percent mark.
There is room for improvement, as 37 percent of students do not graduate within four years. We are on the right track – and the accountability and higher academic standards we’ve injected into our schools over the past eight years are going to keep paying off for our students, big time.
