Graduation rates for black students at Minnesota high schools rose 3 percentage points in 2016, a sign of progress in narrowing the achievement gap between white students and students of color, according to data released Thursday by the state Department of Education.
While the black students' gains were most pronounced, the graduation rate for all students also continued along a slow upward trend. Across Minnesota, 82.2 percent of last year's senior class graduated within four years — the highest overall rate recorded by the department.
"Graduating high school is a crucial step in attaining the dream we all have for success in life," Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius said in a statement released Thursday. "It is encouraging to see more Minnesota students — especially more of our students of color and American Indian students — reaching this milestone."
Still, the overall rate grew at a slower pace than in past years, rising by one-third of one percentage point. And officials cautioned that there is more work to be done while cheering the successes so far.
There's still an 18 percentage-point difference between the graduation rate of white students and students of color. Sixty-five percent of black students graduated in 2016, and the rate is even lower for American Indian students, who had a 52.6 percent graduation rate.
Gov. Mark Dayton called the record-high graduation rates a positive in a statement Thursday, but said that "disparities between students of color and white students persist."
Progress varied across the metro area. Minneapolis Public Schools saw graduation rates rise about 3 percentage points, and St. Paul's increased by 1.5 percentage points. Among suburban districts, Fridley, Brooklyn Center, Inver Grove Heights and Richfield saw some of the largest growth in the metro area, while graduation rates in Spring Lake Park and St. Anthony-New Brighton dropped.
Addressing the gap
A statewide focus on equity in schools had a hand in the graduation rate rise and progress toward closing the gap between white students and students of color, said Josh Collins, Education Department spokesman. The department's efforts have included targeting students at risk for on-time graduation and launching a statewide campaign that aims for a 90 percent graduation rate for all students by 2020.