Study: High school grad rate highest since '76
Source: Associated Press
Study: High school grad rate highest since '76
By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press | January 21, 2013 | Updated: January 21, 2013 11:18pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's high school graduation rate is the highest since 1976, but more than a fifth of students are still failing to get their diploma in four years, the Education Department said in a study released Tuesday.
Officials said the steady rise of students completing their education is a reflection of the struggling economy and a greater competition for new jobs.
"If you drop out of high school, how many good jobs are there out there for you? None. That wasn't true 10 or 15 years ago," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The national dropout rate was about 3 percent overall, down from the year before. Many students who don't receive their diplomas in four years stay in school, taking five years or more to finish their coursework.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Study-High-school-grad-rate-highest-since-76-4211290.php