Oregon High School Graduation Rates Rise For 5th Straight Year

PORTLAND, OR – For the fifth straight year, high school graduation rates rose. The state education department said the statewide rate for 2017-18 was 78.7 percent – a two percent jump over 2016-17 and a 6.7 percent increase over 2013-14.

It's good news for the state which, as recently as 2016, had the third worst graduation rate in the country, ahead of only New Mexico and Nevada.

Despite the rising scores in the state – and the fact that every student group saw an increase –there are still wide gaps between white students and students of color.

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While 80.1 percent of white students graduated, only 68 percent of black and African-American students and 74.6 percent of Hispanic and Latino students got their diplomas.

"It's important to remember that we are talking about students, not statistics," Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill said.

"In this case, a two-point increase in graduation means an additional 950 students getting their diplomas within four years of starting high school."

Gov. Kate Brown says that the rates show the state's commitment to improving the situation.

"How our state provides for the needs of our children is a marker of who we are as a community," she says. "These graduation rates show our work to close opportunity gaps with targeted investments is making a difference in the lives of students.

"To build on this progress, I am dedicated to re-investing in our schools to bring them back to a level we can be proud of."

Brown has proposed a $2 billion education fund that would dedicate $794 million to reduce class sizes in early grades and lengthen the school year.

It would also provide $133 million to fully fund the High School Success (Measure 98) program, $7.7 million for Native American student programs, and a $6 million increase for the African American/Black Student Success program.

In Portland, the state's largest district with more than 46,000 students, the graduation rate rose for the ninth year in a row.

The rate is up just under 2 percent, rising to 79.6 percent. It's also almost 50 percent higher than the graduation rate of 53.5 percent that the district posted in the 2009-10 school year.

It is also the third straight year that Portland has outpaced the state.

"This is positive news for Portland Public Schools," Portland Public Schools Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero said. "I am pleased that we are making significant progress in certain areas, but we still need to keep our sleeves rolled-up.

"We will continue to focus on making sure all of our students have the supports they need to graduate high school and be prepared for college and career."

The state has set a goal of 100 percent graduation by 2025.

This story will be updated.

File photo via PPS.