FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Education Department Releases 2014 Cohort High School Graduation Rates
Graduation Rate Maintains Previous Gains; Continues Upward Trend to 80.4%
Achievement Gaps Narrow Slightly, But Persist
Board of Regents & State Education Department Remain Focused on Providing Equity in Education for All Students
Commissioner Elia to Hold Conference Call with Reporters at 11:30 a.m.
The State Education Department today released graduation rates for the 2014 cohort, those students who first entered 9th grade in New York鈥檚 public schools in 2014. The overall graduation rate increased slightly to 80.4 percent, up 0.2 percentage points from 80.2 percent for the 2013 cohort. The 2014 cohort graduation rate is 9.5 percentage points higher than it was a decade earlier, when the 2004 cohort graduation rate was 70.9 percent.
June Graduation Rates - 2013 Cohort and 2014 Cohort
2013 Cohort |
2014 Cohort |
% Point Change |
---|---|---|
80.2 |
80.4 |
+0.2 |
June Graduation Rates - 2004 Cohort and 2014 Cohort
2004 Cohort |
2014 Cohort |
% Point Change |
---|---|---|
70.9 |
80.4 |
+9.5 |
When August graduates are included, the 2014 cohort graduation rate improved to 82.6 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage points over last year. Despite these overall gains, significant gaps in achievement persist.
2014 Cohort Graduation Rates
June |
August |
% Point Change |
---|---|---|
80.4 |
82.6 |
+2.2 |
This year鈥檚 graduation rate improved for black and Hispanic students, for students with disabilities, and for both current and "Ever" English language learners (ELLs). Of the Big 5 City School Districts, Rochester and New York City improved their graduation rates this year; Buffalo remained essentially flat, while Syracuse and Yonkers experienced declines. The State鈥檚 charter schools experienced a decline in their graduation rate as compared with last year. The gap in graduation rates between black and Hispanic students and their white peers narrowed again this year. This year鈥檚 cohort represents the first increase in cohort size statewide since the 2005 cohort; there were 3,400 more students in the 2014 cohort than there were in 2013 the cohort.
"When we provide students with high-quality learning opportunities, we give them a real chance at success in life," Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said. "The Regents and I are committed to strategies that will lift the performance of all students, while at the same time closing the gaps in achievement that continue to separate too many of our children. By making equity the focus of New York鈥檚 improvement efforts, we are well positioned to continue our upward trajectory."
State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said, "New York鈥檚 graduation rate continues its steady, upward trend. We would, of course, like to see the pace of improvement accelerated, especially in our gap-closing efforts. But it鈥檚 critical that we continue to maintain and build upon our gains, as we have done consistently. I鈥檓 confident that our ESSA plan鈥檚 focus on equity will keep our students and our schools moving in the right direction."
2014 Cohort Graduation Rate Data for the Big 5 City School Districts
Graduation rates among the Big 5 City School Districts varied this year, with New York City and Rochester experiencing increases greater than the overall rate of growth statewide. Buffalo鈥檚 graduation rate remained essentially flat, while Yonkers and Syracuse experienced declines.
Big 5 City School District Cohort June Graduation Rates
Region |
2013 |
2014 |
% Point Change |
---|---|---|---|
Statewide |
80.2 |
80.4 |
+0.2 |
NYC |
71.1 |
72.7 |
+1.6 |
Buffalo |
62.7 |
62.6 |
-0.1 |
Rochester |
51.9 |
53.5 |
+1.6 |
Syracuse |
60.5 |
58.3 |
-2.2 |
Yonkers |
82.8 |
80.3 |
-2.5 |
2014 Cohort Graduation Rate Data by Need/Resource Group
Like the statewide average, graduation rates in all Need/Resource Groups remained relatively flat this year. Low and average-need districts continue to have the highest graduation rates, at 93.9 percent and 87.7 percent, respectively. The graduation rate in low-need districts, however, fell 0.9 percentage points from last year to this year. Large city, high need schools continue to have the lowest graduation rates, and a significant gap remains between the graduation rates of high- and low-need districts. The charter school graduation rate declined this year, from 74.8 percent for the 2013 cohort to 72.3 percent for the 2014 cohort.
Cohort Graduation Rate Data by Race/ Ethnicity
While steady progress is being made to narrow the achievement gaps between the graduation rate of black and Hispanic students compared to their white peers, the achievement gaps between these groups of students remains significant. In the past four years (since the 2011 cohort), the graduation rate gap has narrowed by 4.7 percentage points for black students and 3.8 percentage points for Hispanic students, when compared with the State鈥檚 white students.
Statewide, black and Hispanic students each improved their graduation rate by 0.8 percentage points this year; those improvements helped to narrow the achievement gap by 0.9 percentage points this year, when compared to their white peers. Additionally, white students graduated with a Regents diploma or a Regents diploma with advanced designation at a rate nearly 22 percentage points higher than did black and Hispanic students.
Asian/Pacific Islander students improved their graduation rate by 0.5 percentage points; multi-racial students declined by 0.9 percentage points; and white students remained essentially flat.
American Indian/Alaskan Native students, who represent the smallest race/ethnicity group by cohort size, experienced the greatest growth, improving their graduation rate by 1.8 percentage points from last year to this year.
The Board of Regents and the Education Department will continue their efforts to close the graduation rate gap through the implementation of the State鈥檚 ESSA plan and the My Brother鈥檚 Keeper initiative, and by providing students with better access to high-level coursework and Career and Technical Education coursework.
Cohort June Graduation Rates & Achievement Gap by Race/Ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity |
2011 Grad. Rate |
2012 Grad. Rate |
2013 Grad. Rate |
2014 Grad. Rate |
2011 Gap to White Peers |
2014 Gap to White Peers |
Change in Gap 2011 to 2014 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Indian/ Alaska Native |
64.8 |
64.8 |
65.8 |
67.6 |
23.3 |
21.3 |
-2.0 |
Asian/ Pacific Islander |
84.5 |
85.9 |
86.9 |
87.4 |
3.6 |
1.5 |
-2.1 |
Black |
64.6 |
68.2 |
69.3 |
70.1 |
23.5 |
18.8 |
-4.7 |
Hispanic |
64.6 |
68.0 |
68.4 |
69.2 |
23.5 |
19.7 |
-3.8 |
Multiracial |
80.0 |
80.6 |
82.3 |
81.4 |
8.1 |
7.5 |
-0.6 |
White |
88.1 |
88.7 |
89.0 |
88.9 |
听 | 听 | 听 |
Gaps in the graduation rate remain for our Big 5 City School Districts, as well. Among the Big 5, Yonkers has the smallest graduation gap between Hispanic and white students at 4.6 percentage points. Buffalo has the highest graduation gap among both black and Hispanic students, as compared with their white peers, at 15.1 and 25 percentage points, respectively.
June 2014 Big 5 Achievement Gap Compared to White Students
City |
American Indian/ Alaska Native |
Asian/ Pacific Islander |
Black |
Hispanic |
Multiracial |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York City |
18 |
-3.1 |
13.8 |
16.1 |
-3.3 |
Buffalo |
20.5 |
0.4 |
15.1 |
25 |
19.7 |
Rochester |
S* |
S* |
9.9 |
13.1 |
S* |
Syracuse |
10.3 |
-3.1 |
5.8 |
11.4 |
-2.8 |
Yonkers |
4.4 |
-9.5 |
10.5 |
4.6 |
-3.1 |
*Data is suppressed due to small number of students.
Cohort Graduation Rate Data for English Language Learners
The graduation rate for English language learners (ELLs) improved overall this year. "Current ELLs" (students who were identified as ELLs during the school year of their last enrollment) improved their graduation rate by 2.4 percentage points over last year. "Ever ELLs" (students identified as English language learners in any school year preceding the school year of their last enrollment) improved as well, by 1.1 percentage points over last year.
With a graduation rate of 85.5 percent, Ever ELLs continue to show strong progress, surpassing the overall statewide graduation rate by more than five percentage points. However, current ELLs still lag far behind the statewide rate, with only 29 percent of the 2014 cohort graduating on time. Current ELLs benefit from extra time in school, with graduation rates increasing 5.1 percentage points from June to August to 34.1 percent.
The State鈥檚 ESSA plan places a strong emphasis on improving the educational outcomes of ELLs.
Cohort June Graduation Rates for English Language Learners
ELLs |
2013 |
2014 |
% Point Change |
---|---|---|---|
Ever ELLs |
84.4 |
85.5 |
1.1 |
Current ELLs |
26.6 |
29.0 |
2.4 |
2014 Cohort Graduation Rate Data for Students with Disabilities and by Gender
The graduation rate for students with disabilities improved 1.7 percentage points this year, moving from 54.2 percent for the 2013 cohort to 55.9 percent for the 2014 cohort. While the graduation rate for students with disabilities continues to slowly improve, the rate still lags significantly behind the graduation rate of non-disabled students. Additionally, students with disabilities continue to earn Regents diplomas and Regents diplomas with Advanced Designation at a rate far lower than their non-disabled peers. Students with disabilities benefit from extra time in school, with graduation rates rising 2.6 percentage points from June to August.
2014 Cohort Graduation Rate Data by Gender
Female students continue to graduate at a significantly higher rate than their male peers, with 2014 cohort graduation rates at 84.5 percent for females and 76.5 percent for males. The graduation rate for females improved by 0.4 percentage points over last year, while the graduation rate for males remained flat.
2014 Cohort Dropout Rate Data
The percentage of students who dropped out of school remained relatively flat this year, declining from 6.2 percent for the 2013 cohort to 6.0 percent for the 2014 cohort. Notably, the dropout rate for ELLs dropped 2.2 percentage points, from 29.7 percent last year to 27.5 percent this year 鈥 but remains significantly higher than all other subgroups of students. This school year, districts with ELL students are required to put supports in place to increase the number of ELLs that graduate, and to track and decrease the number of ELLs who drop out of school.
Cohort Dropout Rates
Subgroup |
2013 |
2014 |
% Point Change |
---|---|---|---|
Statewide |
6.2 |
6.0 |
-0.2 |
Current ELLs |
29.7 |
27.5 |
-2.2 |
Students with Disabilities |
11.6 |
11.1 |
-0.5 |
The dropout rate for students with disabilities improved slightly this year, decreasing 0.5 percentage points, from 11.6 percent for the 2013 cohort to 11.1 percent for the 2014 cohort. The drop out rate for students with disabilities declined in four of the Big 5 city school districts. And in just two years, Yonkers has halved its drop out rate for students with disabilities. At 4.9 percent for students with disabilities, Yonkers鈥檚 dropout rate is significantly smaller than any of the other Big 5 city school districts and significantly smaller than the total public statewide rate.
Four, Five and Six-Year Graduation Rate Data
As in previous years, the data shows that persistence pays off for students who do not graduate in four years. For the 2012 statewide cohort, the four-year graduation rate was 79.7 percent; students continuing to a fifth year improved the rate to 84.5 percent; and a sixth year improved the rate even further, to 85.8 percent. With the addition of a fifth year, the 2013 statewide cohort graduation rate increased significantly, improving to 84.9 percent, up 4.7 percentage points from the four-year graduation rate of 80.2 percent.
Current ELL students demonstrated significant increases in graduation rates given additional time and continued services. For the 2012 cohort, the four-year Current ELL graduation rate was 26.9 percent; the five-year rate rose to 36.8 percent; and the six-year rate reached 40.5 percent. That is an increase of 13.6 percentage points and represents approximately 1,000 more students earning a diploma. For the 2013 cohort, the four-year Current ELL graduation rate was 26.6 percent and the five-year rate rose significantly, to 37.2 percent.
Cohort 4, 5 & 6-Year Graduation Rates
Cohort |
4-Year |
5-Year |
6-Year |
% Point Change |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 Statewide |
80.2 |
84.9 |
听 |
+4.7 |
2013 Current ELL |
26.6 |
37.2 |
听 |
+10.6 |
2012 Statewide |
79.7 |
84.5 |
85.8 |
+6.1 |
2012 Current ELL |
26.9 |
36.8 |
40.5 |
+13.6 |
Multiple Pathways to Graduation
The Board of Regents is committed to providing multiple pathways for students to earn a regular high school diploma, and the Board approved regulations to establish multiple, comparably rigorous assessment pathways to graduation for all students. By offering these multiple pathways, the Board recognizes the importance of engaging students in rigorous and relevant academic programs. Specifically, Regents-approved regulations recognize students鈥 interests in the Arts; Languages Other Than English; Career and Technical Education; Humanities; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by allowing an approved pathway assessment to meet the students鈥 graduation requirements; more information about these Multiple Pathways is available on the Department鈥檚 website.
In addition, at its June 2016 meeting, the Board of Regents approved regulations to establish a new Career Development Occupational Studies (CDOS) graduation pathway for all students. The CDOS Commencement Credential certifies that a student has the standards-based knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level employment. Previously, only students with disabilities could exit school with a 澳门特码王 CDOS Commencement Credential. These regulations expanded to all students the opportunity to earn the CDOS Commencement Credential.
Last year, the Department implemented a new system to collect and report data on the number of students who earn a diploma through one of the new multiple pathways to graduation. School districts reported that more than 11,200 students earned a diploma through one of the pathways, a 13 percent increase over the previous year. These graduates are included within the overall graduation rate numbers announced today.
Safety Net Options for Students with Disabilities
In 2016, the Board of Regents also acted to enable superintendents to make a local determination as to the academic proficiency of certain students with disabilities seeking to graduate with a local diploma and began requiring that a parent or guardian request this option for their child. In 2017, the Board expanded the superintendent determination to allow the CDOS credential as a safety net for students with disabilities who pass their Regents coursework but do not pass the ELA or math Regents exams. In school year 2017-18, 952 students with disabilities received diplomas through a superintendent鈥檚 determination, an increase of more than 600 students over the prior year.
Data Collection & Verification
The graduation data is reported by educational institutions to SED throughout the school year. The 2014 cohort graduation rate data was available for verification until the close of the state data warehouse in August 2018.听District superintendents certified the data in September 2018.听 For more specific data points and for school- and district-level graduation data, visit the Department鈥檚 . A PowerPoint presentation with additional data is also available
Conference Call with Commissioner Elia:
Commissioner Elia will conduct a conference call for reporters at 11:30 a.m. with a PowerPoint presentation that can be joined by webinar. For call-in information, please contact the NYSED Office of Communications via email at: NYSEDCommunications@nysed.gov.
Media Contact
Reporters and education writers may contact the Office of Communications by email or phone at:
Press@nysed.gov
(518) 474-1201