Mississippi graduation rate hits new record of 84 percent
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi is graduating a greater share of its high school students than ever before.
The Mississippi Department of Education said Thursday that 84 percent of public school seniors graduated in the 2017-2018 school year, the highest mark on record. That's up from 83 percent in 2016-2017 and 74 percent in 2012-2013.
The mark is equal to the most recent recorded national graduation rate of 84 percent in 2017.
The state says only 10.1 percent of seniors dropped out of high school without earning a diploma. The rest remain in school or earned an alternate credential to a diploma.
Mississippi's graduation rate for students with disabilities rose to 38.4 percent last year from 23.2 percent in 2014.