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lae.org  News
 New
Report Calls Data on Dropout Rates Inflated
Researchers Call Increases in Graduation Rates of Black and Hispanic
Students “Encouraging but not Satisfying”
WASHINGTON— A report released today by the Economic Policy Institute
finds that high school completion rates for black and Hispanic students
are much higher than widely reported, but notes that wide gaps still exist
between white and minority students.
Dropout rates for black and Hispanic students are not as high as many
reports suggest, according to the Institute. The study shows that about
75 percent of black and Hispanic students graduate high school, whereas
other reports have put the number at about 50 percent. Meanwhile, 82 percent
of white students graduate high school, the report states.
The gap between graduation rates of white and black students has narrowed
over the past 40 years. However, researchers note that this “is encouraging
but not satisfying since there has been little further progress over the
last ten years.”
The following can be attributed to Reg Weaver, president of the National
Education Association:
“Another public school myth has been busted. Contrary to conventional
wisdom, the high school completion rate for black and Hispanic students
is much higher than previously believed. While this is positive news,
we can still do better. Whether the data shows a gap of 70 percent or
7 percent, black and Hispanic children are not graduating high school
at the rate of white students. Little progress has been made in the last
10 years to narrow the gap because lawmakers are only paying lip service
to education. Right now they’re considering the biggest education spending
cuts in the nation’s history. If we’re going to close these gaps, schools
need resources, quality teachers and programs targeting the most at-risk
students.”
The Economic Policy Institute report is available at: http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/book_grad_rates
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