Continuing the decade-long trend, Florida’s graduation rate has risen again — this year by 2.8%.
The state graduation rate is now 80.7% for the 2015-16 cohort, an outcome that Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart attributes to increased accountability and the efforts of Florida students.
“Today’s news is cause for celebration! I am proud of Florida’s students for their outstanding achievement, even as the bar has been steadily raised,” said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart in a statement. “These results are a testament to their hard work and the benefit of Florida’s accountability system, which hinges on transparency and rewards progress every step of the way.”
Graduation rates have increased across the board in recent years. Since the 2011-12 school year, the state rate improved by 6.2%, with African American students increasing at 8.6%, Hispanic students at 6.5%, and low-income students at 9.3%.
Among the most improved districts from the 2014-15 school year were Franklin (+24%), Madison (+22%), Suwannee (+22%), St. Lucie (+11%) and Bay (+10%) counties. Moreover, 55 out of Florida’s 67 counties saw an increase in graduation rates, with 52 having a rate increase of greater than 1%.
While this year’s results are a meaningful step towards improving student outcomes, the Orlando Sentinel notes that Florida still has room for improvement, as Florida’s high school graduation rate ranked below the national average in 2014-15.
Florida College Access Network congratulates the Florida Department of Education and all Florida students for this tremendous accomplishment, accelerating graduation rates across the board!
For more detail on Florida’s high school graduation rate, visit the EdStats data portal or this data brief prepared by the Florida Department of Education. Additional regional coverage can be found from the Sun Sentinel, Florida Times-Union, Palm Beach Post and Tampa Bay Times.