by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
The graduation rate in the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District in 2015 was 93.0 percent, part of a trend of ever-increasing positive graduation numbers. The SRR rate is well above the statewide average last year of 81.9 percent.
There were 254 students who graduated from Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in 2015 – 136 females, 118 males. The graduation rate for females was 94.5 percent and for males was 91.5 percent. The drop-out rate was only 1.5 percent.
That good local news extends statewide with more Minnesota students graduating than ever before. With 54,200 graduates in 2015, the rate statewide last year was 81.9 percent. The rates for students of color have also continued to rise.
During the past five years, the rate in Minnesota has grown by 6.4 percentage points, up from 75.5 percent in 2010.
Minnesota Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius also praised graduation rates, statewide.
“Reaching our goal of a statewide graduation rate of 90 percent does not happen in one year,” Cassellius said. “It’s important to look at trends over time, and since 2010 we have seen the number of students graduating high school increase steadily every year.”
With more students of color graduating across the board, Minnesota is seeing unprecedented gap closure between white students and students of color. Since 2010, Minnesota has closed the graduation gap by 12 percentage points.
The following are rates for students of color:
American Indian students: 61.9 percent, up 7.7 percent since 2010.
Asian/Pacific Islander students: 82.7 percent, up 12.7 percent since 2010.
Black students: 62 percent, up 17.8 percent since 2010.
Hispanic students: 65.6 percent, up 17.8 percent since 2010.
English learners saw a slight decrease in graduation rates statewide, but they too are up 14.3 percentage points since 2010.
During the past five years, Minnesota has placed heavy emphasis on improving graduation rates. It did so through a number of innovative programs, some geared to at-risk students using intervention strategies.
