The New York State Education Department has released its latest numbers on high school graduation rates, and the report shows some improvement for the Rochester City School District.
Statewide, the graduation rate for the state for students who first entered 9th grade in 2014 increased slightly by .2 percentage points to 80.4 percent.
In the ‘Big 5’ city school districts, Rochester and New York City were the only districts that saw improvements; Rochester’s 4-year graduation rate rose by 1.6 percent, up to 53.5 percent. New York City’s graduation rate was 72.7 percent.
Buffalo’s graduation rate was 62.6 percent, Syracuse was 58.3 percent, and Yonkers, 80.3 percent.
Rochester's 4-year graduation rate was still the lowest among the Big 5 school districts.
Officials say that statewide, the graduation rate improved for black and Hispanic students, for students with disabilities and for English language learners.
State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said, “New York’s graduation rate continues its steady, upward trend. We would, of course, like to see the pace of improvement accelerated, especially in our gap-closing efforts. But it’s critical that we continue to maintain and build upon our gains, as we have done consistently.
The Rochester City School District released a statement saying that it has achieved its highest graduation rate in more than a decade.
“While we have reason to celebrate today, we must maintain our laser-like focus on meeting the needs of every student," said Superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams. "We cannot afford to have one child slip through the cracks. It takes families, the community, and our schools working together to make sure our children succeed. I want to acknowledge all of those who have committed to our students, their success, and their futures.”
The district says that these trends show the District is continuing to disrupt patterns of failure by keeping focus on every student by face and name to and through graduation. We intend to build on this positive trend to ensure every Rochester child is positioned to succeed and graduate on time.
