At a time when educators nationwide are working to improve graduation rates by raising the mandatory school attendance age, a new study shows that Minnesota's graduation rate is among the highest in the county.
The study, released Wednesday by Education Week, ranked the state's graduation rate as the ninth highest in the nation for the Class of 2005, the most recent year for which data was available. The state's graduation rate was 78 percent, compared with the national average of 71 percent.
In raw numbers, 15,105 members of Minnesota's Class of 2008 will fail to get a diploma this year, according to the study.
Those thousands of non-graduates are a sore point for many educators and legislators who tried, but failed, this year to pass legislation raising the high school dropout age from 16 to 18.
The study also confirms the education chasm between Minnesota's white and minority students. Smaller percentages of minority students graduate from high school than the national average.
For instance, the Class of 2005 graduation rate for black students in Minnesota was 39 percent compared to the national average of 55 percent. For Hispanic students, the graduation rate of 42 percent in Minnesota compared to 58 percent nationwide.
"We do believe the graduation rate is something we need to pay attention to," said Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren. "When you look at the national averages, no matter what formula you use, we usually turn out well compared to the other states. But when you look at the achievement gap [between white and non-white students], we chronically underperform in those areas, so the achievement gap persists."
Seagren said the state is trying to narrow the achievement gap through a number of measures, including setting higher standards for all kids, improving teacher training, and establishing math and science academy centers to improve instruction in those subjects.
