Michigan Graduation Rates Dip Only Slightly

Tuesday, April 10, 2012Printer-friendly version

Although many had predicted this class would struggle, because the students were the first to comply with the state's new graduation requirements, which mandate a heavier dose of math and science than previous students had taken, a first look at the data -- from the state Center for Educational Performance and Information -- finds those dire predictions didn't come true. Nearly 15,000 students -- or 11.13% -- of the class dropped out, up slightly from 11.07% for the class of 2010. And about 100,000 -- or 74.33% -- graduated on time, down from 75.95%. "Michigan has been able to raise expectations of rigor in high school without resulting in the increase in dropouts predicted by the skeptics," said Jan Ellis, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Education. Read the article...