Survey: Arizona high school graduation rate falls short of national average

Arizona is below the national average when it comes to the percentage of high school students who graduate, according to a recent National Center for Education Statistics survey.

BY BOB MCCLAY

Dec 17, 2015, 6:00 AM

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(AP Photo)

PHOENIX — Arizona is well below the national average for high school graduation rates, according to a recent National Center for Education Statistics survey.

According to the survey, 75.1 percent of Arizona high school seniors graduated in the 2013-2014 school year, compared to the national average of 82.3 percent.

The biggest graduation rate gap between Arizona and the national average was students with limited English proficiency, according to the survey. The national average was 62.6 percent, but Arizona only graduated 18.1 percent of these students.

Arizona Department of Education Spokesman Charles Tack said the key to improving the rate is to get those students to better understand English at an earlier age.

“We have students who come from around the world who may not have that firm grasp of English,” he said. “If you consider the amount of material that students are learning in high school, that’s a lot to keep up with when you’re struggling with the language.”

Tack said he believes one way to improve Arizona’s graduation rate is to ensure kids have a strong footing in reading by the 3rd grade.

“That prepares them to succeed in later grades in all of the subjects that they need,” he said.

He said one way that Arizona is trying to improve rates is through the state’s Education and Career Plan Program.

“Those plans start in middle school, continue through high schools, and give students kind of a road map to help them see where they want to go when they finish High School,” Tack said.

Tack said Arizona’s graduation percentages have been stable for the past 5 years, hovering at around 75 percent. The highest rate was 77 percent in 2011.

The survey also found 82 percent of Caucasian students and 83 percent of Asian students graduated in Arizona during the 2013-2014 school year, compared to the national average of 87 and 89 percent in those categories.

Approximately 70 percent of Arizona Hispanics graduated, which is six percent below the national average. Native American graduation rates for Arizona fell seven percent, 69.6 percent nationally and 62.7 percent in the Valley.

The gap for African-American students was much closer at 72.5 percent nationwide, compared to Arizona’s 71 percent.