The “Diploma’s Count 2008” report (www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/06/05) criticizes the schools in its Executive Summary by stating, “About 71 percent of 9th graders make it to graduation four years later, according to data from 2005, the latest available. And that figure drops to 58 percent for Hispanics, 55 percent for African-Americans, and 51 percent for Native Americans.” These figures have made the national and local news media.
What has not been reported is the following quotation from the Executive Summary: “Those rates improved slightly from 2004 to 2005 for all groups.”
I do not have a problem with negative reports about schools in the press and a 71% graduation rate is nothing we should be jumping for joy about. But I would like all of the evidence reported.