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NEWS RELEASE
January 23, 2020
Media Contact: Marc Siegel, marc.siegel@state.or.us
Closing the Gaps: Statewide Graduation Rate Up to All-Time High of 80 Percent Graduation Rates for Historically Underserved Student Groups Increase More than State Average
(Salem, Ore.) – The statewide graduation rate for the class of 2018-19 is 80 percent, up 1.3 percentage points over the previous year and the highest graduation rate ever recorded in Oregon, according to data released today by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). The four-year graduation rate has increased eight percentage points over five years.
The gap in high school graduation rates between historically underserved student groups and the state average is smaller than in previous years. The year-to-year increase in graduation rates was greater for every underserved student group than the increase in the state average, bringing underserved student groups closer to the statewide average than ever before.
“This year’s graduation rate increase means nearly 600 additional students earned a diploma,” ODE Director Colt Gill said. “We are seeing even faster growth for students of color, students with disabilities and students navigating poverty than the state as a whole. Student Success Act funding will build on this promising foundation to foster equity and excellence for all Oregon students.”
The table below shows how some student groups fared since the 2010-2011 cohort graduated in 2014:
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Student group
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Class of 2014[1]
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Class of 2019[2]
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Difference
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All
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72.0
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80.0
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8.0
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Asian
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85.9
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92.3
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6.4
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Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
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68.8
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77.6
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8.8
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American Indian/Alaska Native
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53.5
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67.7
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14.2
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Black/African American
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60.2
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70.4
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10.2
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Hispanic/Latino
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64.9
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76.2
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11.3
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English Learners in High School
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51.7
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60.2
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8.5
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Special Education
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51.1
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63.4
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12.3
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“Every student in Oregon deserves to graduate prepared for lifelong success and with a plan for their future,” said Governor Kate Brown. “Working together over the last five years, through a commitment to closing opportunity gaps for students in all our communities, we have made steady progress increasing the number of Oregon students completing high school. With the historic reinvestment in education made possible by the Student Success Act, our schools will be further empowered to engage and support Oregon’s students in reaching new levels of learning and achievement.”
Other highlights from the data:
- Students who have successfully completed English Learner programs in Oregon graduate at a rate of 84.3 percent, higher than the statewide average. Speaking multiple languages improves education outcomes no matter which language a student learns first.
- Students taking a Career and Technical Education (CTE) course graduated at a rate of 88.9 percent in four years and those enrolled in a CTE program of study had a 93.5 percent graduation rate in four years.
- The graduation rate for students experiencing homelessness is up from 50.7 percent from the class of 2017, to 55.4 percent for the class of 2019. The class of 2017 was the first class for which this data was collected.
- Students in the Migrant Education Program saw a 4.4 percentage point increase in graduation rates over last year to 79.4 percent, less than a percentage point below the statewide average.
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[1] Students who began high school in the 2010-2011 school year.
[2] Students who began high school in the 2015-2016 school year.
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