By Briana Vannozzi
Correspondent
More high school diplomas are being earned by American students than ever before. Figures from the U.S. Department of Education show national graduation rates are at their highest yet.
“New Jersey was ranked number two. Iowa was ahead of us but we’re in a bracket with four other states I think, but we’re definitely a solid two. And that’s where we;ve been over the years,” said NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer.
New Jersey did increase for the 2012-2013 school year, up to 88 percent from 86 the year before. Only Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin came in at the same rate. Oregon ranked last with just 69 percent. Overall the country stands at 81 percent — that’s up a point from last year and 10 percent over the last decade.
“More kids are graduating from high school than ever before and it’s harder to graduate from high school. More class requirements, more tests, higher standards,” said America’s Promise Alliance President and CEO John Gomperts.
That national increase means 2 million more students have graduated in those 10 years. Since 2010, states have been using a uniform method to calculate the numbers called the adjusted cohort graduation rate. Prior to that, each state used their own methods.
“So it’s become a goal for the nation, for governors, for mayors, for school districts, for parents across the country,” Gomperts said.
“New Jersey has always had a very strong education program where we rank high on just about every indicator among the 50 states,” said Dr. Richard Bozza, New Jersey Association of School Administrators executive director.
Those in the education field say it starts with identifying students most at risk and giving them more attention over time. Strong preschool and early education programs are also a must.
“There are lower rates of juvenile delinquency, there’s lower rates of imprisonment, there are lower rates of teen pregnancy, there’s better health care, so we’ve got all kinds of other factors that contribute to how students do, particularly those who might be at risk for not succeeding in school,” Bozza said.
“Communities invest in their schools. They see it as a valuable commodity. I don’t see us ever dropping out of the top five. I think we’re always looking to raise our standards and to provide great public schools,” Steinhauer said.
In fact, according to school performance reports released by New Jersey’s Department of Education, districts with vocational and technical schools had the highest graduation rates in our state.
“We’re focusing much more on success for college and careers, not just passing the grades on assessments,” said Bozza.
Data on the gaps for minority students, who historically have lower graduation rates, is not yet available, but we know these gaps exist.
“We need to focus on those places and those people that are still falling behind. Those places tend to be big cities and rural areas,” said Gomperts.
Gomperts’ organization is leading the national campaign to reach a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020.