A new report issued by the America’s Promise founded by Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and his wife, Alma says that the United States graduation rate is rising.
The report cites two statistics. The national graduation rate increased to 75 percent in 2008, from 72 percent in 2001. And the number of high schools that researchers call dropout factories “” where less than 60% of entering students graduate-declined to about 1,750 in 2008, from about 2,000 such schools in 2002.
Some states made more progress than others. Tennessee and New York made “breakthrough gains,” sharply raising their graduation rates from 2002 to 2008, the report says. In Arizona, Utah and Nevada, graduation rates dropped significantly.
The 88-page report, “Building a Grad Nation,” was published by America’s Promise Alliance, along with two other groups.”