Pa. hopes to improve on strong graduation rate
HARRISBURG (AP) – Pennsylvania’s high school graduation rate is already a respectable 84 percent, but state education officials are hoping to improve on that.
Education Department spokesman Tim Eller says the agency is introducing a new system to make it easier for educators to identify and help youngsters at risk of dropping out.
Eller says new performance profiles for individual schools also will draw attention to those with dropout problems.
A report being released Monday at a national education summit says U.S. public high schools have hit a milestone graduation rate of 80 percent. Researchers project a 90 percent rate by 2020.
Pennsylvania ranks in the top half of 2012 state graduation rates, which range from 63 percent to 89 percent.