Austin ISD's graduation rate reached an all-time high of 84.1 percent for the Class of 2013, according to data released Aug. 5 by the district and the Texas Education Agency.
The 2013 rate was a 1.6-percentage-point increase from the 2012 rate at 82.5 percent and a nearly 10-percentage-point increase from the 2008 rate at 74.3 percent, according to AISD.
Graduation rates increased across all ethnic groups, for English language learners, for economically disadvantaged and for special education students, according to interim Superintendent Paul Cruz.
"As state performance standards continue to increase, AISD students are performing exceedingly well and graduating at record rates," Cruz said in a news release. "From pre-kindergarten through high school, our school communities are working hard to ensure all of our students have the support they need to reach their full potential and to graduate."
For the 2012–13 school year, improvements included:
- Graduation rates for English language learners increased by 5.4 percentage points to 69.5 percent
- Graduation rates for special education students increased by 2.9 percentage points to 66.5 percent
- Economically disadvantaged students' graduation rates increased by 2.6 percentage points to 81.5 percent
- Graduation rates for African-American students increased by 2.5 percentage points to 82.1 percent
- Hispanic students' graduation rates increased by 2.3 percentage points, from 78.6 to 80.9 percent.
The school district tracks student progress using an early warning system for guidance counselors and administrators and works to provide timely support and guidance when students fall behind, according to AISD.
"Simply put: As educators, we believe if one student does not complete high school, that is one student too many," Cruz said.
At the end of each school year, the TEA reports graduation rates for the previous school year. More information is available at www.austinisd.org.
