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D.C. Public Schools announced significant increases today in the percentage of students who graduate high school in four years. While it hasn’t reached its five-year goal, DCPS students who walked across the stage this spring helped bring the system to an all-time high.
DCPS, which operates 15 high schools, graduated 69 percent of students this year—that’s a five percent increase from last year and a 10 percent jump since 2011.
“I’m thrilled that our four-year graduation rate continues to grow because each data point of progress is a student graduating from our schools ready for college and career,” says outgoing Chancellor Kaya Henderson in a release. “We must continue this work so that every student is receiving a high school diploma and prepared for their next step in life, whether that is college or career.”
Wilson High School—where students recently saw a decline in PARCC exam scores—had the largest increase in graduation rates compared to the 2014-2015 school-year. With a 10 percent increase, the school’s graduation rate is now 88 percent.
Other schools boast even higher rates. Benjamin Banneker and School Without Walls, both schools where students go through a selection process, had 100 percent graduation rates this year. In addition, Duke Ellington, McKinley Technology, and Phelps ACE—also application schools—had 96, 99, and 94 percent graduation rates, respectively.
At 42 percent, Anacostia High School has the lowest rate, which is a four percent decline from last year. Roosevelt, another neighborhood high school, dropped as well, by three points.
The graduation rates among black and Hispanic students are both at 67 percent—that’s a five percent boost for blacks and a one percent increase for hispanics. D.C.’s achievement gap still persists though, as 93 percent of white students graduated on time.
In 2012, DCPS’ Capital Commitment initiative set a goal of reaching a 75 percent graduate rate by 2017, which means there’s still more work to be done.
“When we set these goals, people said we were crazy,” Henderson told The Washington Post. “As I walk out of here at the end this week, I want people to feel a sense of possibility.” Henderson’s last day as chancellor is this Friday.
Meanwhile, the national high school graduation rate hit an all-time high of 82 percent for the 2013-2014 school-year.
