3 High School Graduation Figures Educators Should Know

High school graduation rates have steadily risen in recent years -- an important feat for public education.

Previous generations may have been able to get a manufacturing job without a high school diploma and still have a middle-class life, but that doesn't exist anymore, says Bob Balfanz, director of the Everyone Graduates Center at John Hopkins University, which is working to help get all students to graduate.

"The fact that the nation's graduation rate continues to go up is important because it means more kids are better prepared and have a better shot at a successful life," he says.

New graduation rate data was released last week and more students are finishing high school than ever before. But the data show that's not the whole story.

Educators can read on to discover key graduation rate numbers and how one school addressed these areas.

1. The nationwide graduation rate was 83.2 percent -- a new high -- for the 2014-2015 school year.

It's crucial all students graduate high school today if they want to find work after graduation and be successful, says Balfanz.

Some high schools have almost reached that goal.

At Northeast Guilford High in McLeansville, North Carolina, the graduation rate rose from 77.5 percent in 2006 to 92 percent this year, district data show.

Principal Fabby Williams, who has been head of the school since 2011, says a collaborative and personalized approach for each student involving school staff and community partners has been key to lifting the graduation rate.

[Find out how after-school programs can help teens at risk of dropping out.]

The school employs a graduation coach who leads a graduation committee of counselors, teachers and community partners dedicated to getting all students to graduate, among other efforts.

Staff keeps close tabs on students struggling academically to make sure they are doing their work and coming to school, Williams says. They make reaching out to students to help them develop a plan to graduate a priority.

2. About 76 percent of low income students graduated in the 2014-2015 school year.

English language learners and students with disabilities graduate at much lower rate than the overall figure too, about 65 percent, according to the new data. While gains have been made among these three groups of students, Balfanz says if more efforts aren't made to help them graduate, the nationwide graduation rate won't rise.

At Northeast Guilford High, a Title I school where many students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, Williams says the individual approach is what works.

The school gets creative with schedules for students who are struggling. If a student is failing one class and has an A in another, they may pull the student out of the class he or she is succeeding in for 30 minutes for additional help in the class they aren't doing well in, Williams says.

When struggling students start missing school, staff members do home visits -- sometimes students might even get a visit from the principal. "Kids know that I've gone to several students houses and just kind of waited for them to get in the car and I'll bring them to school," Williams.

[Discover how mentoring programs aim to increase high school graduates.]

3. White students graduated at a rate 13 percentage points higher than black students during the 2014-2015 school year.

There's a connection between minority students living in poverty and the achievement gap, Balfanz says. Black and white students in more affluent areas graduate at a similar rate, he says.

Similar gaps exist between other minorities and white students, the new data show.

Williams says they've managed to narrow the achievement gap in math among white and black students almost completely, although it still persists overall. While this systemic issue continues to be a major challenge, Williams says individual help, quality teachers and new district initiatives are helping.

It comes down to relationships, he says.

"A lot of kids come to school and they work hard for us," he says. "They are not really motivated by grades, but they are motivated by trying to please the folks who care about them."

Have something of interest to share? Send your news to us at highschoolnotes@usnews.com.

Alexandra Pannoni is an education Web producer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com.