Indiana high school graduation rate dips slightly

Sue Loughlin, The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
·2 min read

Dec. 30—The Indiana Department of Education on Friday released the 2022 state graduation rates, with data showing 86.61% of students in the Class of 2022 graduating.

For the Vigo County School Corp., 78.4% of students graduated, according to state data. That's an improvement over last year's rate of 76.6%.

Data for each VCSC school shows that North Vigo's 2022 graduation rate was 78.8%; West Vigo's, 89.6%; South Vigo, 81.3%; Vigo Virtual, 62.9%; and Booker T. Washington, an alternative program, 52.8%.

"Graduating high school is an important milestone as students transition to their next step, whether that's employment, enrollment or enlistment leading to service," said Katie Jenner, Indiana secretary of education.

"As we seek new and innovative ways to ensure students are best prepared for their future, we must continue to rethink how those four years are structured," Jenner said. "This includes increasing the number of students having access to a high-value post-secondary credential before graduation, increasing access to high-quality work-based learning opportunities that allow for additional skill development, as well as providing flexibility for high schools — allowing them to focus on strategic, rigorous coursework that is purposeful for each student's unique path."

Her comments align with those of Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, who has spoken about "re-inventing high schools" as a 2023 legislative priority. Part of that involves providing more flexibility for applied learning classes to count toward graduation, he said.

"It's well past time to replace our 20th century education model with one that aligns the needs of our students with the needs of the 21st century economy," Huston said.

Statewide, graduation rates increased for:

* Black students — from 77.1% in 2021 to 77.5% in 2022;

* Hispanic students — from 82.7% in 2021 to 83.9% in 2022;

* English Learners — from 82.8% in 2021 to 85.6% in 2022;

* Special education students — from 74.5% in 2021 to 76.4% in 2022; and

* Students receiving free and reduced price meals — from 82.8% in 2021 to 83.7% in 2022.

Statewide, the non-waiver graduation rate improved from 78.8% in 2021 to 80.6% in 2022.

Vigo County's non-waiver graduation rate for 2022 was 72.6%.

Non-waiver reflects the number of students who complete all their diploma requirements, without needing a waiver.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue