1.23 million U.S. students will fail to graduate in 2008, according to
Diplomas Count 2008: School to College: Can State P-16 Councils Ease the Transition? This report examines what states are doing to address this.
Through an examination of graduation statistics from each congressional district, the report finds that:
- High school graduation rates differ dramatically across U.S. congressional districts, ranging from fewer than one-third of students graduating to more than nine out of 10. The 7th District of New York posts the lowest graduation rate, at 24.5 percent, while the nearby 5th District of New Jersey tops the nation at 92.6 percent.
- States differ in their graduation rates. More than eight in 10 students graduate on time in Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin. But that rate drops to fewer than six in 10 in the District of Columbia, Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, and South Carolina.
Diplomas Count 2008 also explores how state P-16 councils can ease the transition from high school to college. P-16 councils bring together educational experts from preschool to college and beyond and often include representatives from state government, business, and the community. These state-level councils have emerged as a popular, if unproven, forum for turning concerns about precollegiate and postsecondary alignment into an achievable agenda. The report finds that these councils are increasingly popular but they often lack support and clear agendas necessary for success.
About the Report:
Title: Diplomas Count 2008: School to College
Prepared by: Editorial Projects in Education, Education Week
Date Published: June 2008