NYC Grad Rate Tops 70 Percent in New Small Schools for Second Consecutive Year

NEW YORK — Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced that the June graduation rate for new small schools exceeded 70 percent for the second consecutive year, according to preliminary data from principals. Forty-seven new small schools graduated classes, including 15 that first graduated classes last year and sustained their high level of achievement for a second year. More than two-thirds of students in this year’s graduating class entered these new schools performing below grade-level, and more than 90 percent are Black or Hispanic. Thirty of these schools are located in the buildings of schools previously marked for closure, where the collective graduation rate in 2002 was 35 percent. The new small school initiative is the centerpiece of the Department of Education’s secondary school reforms.

To read the full press release, visit the NYC Department of Education Web site.