Minnesota’s high school graduation rate improved last year for at least the sixth consecutive year, according to data released Tuesday.

Statewide, 83.2 percent of charter and traditional public school students graduated within four years.

That’s up from 82.7 percent in 2017 and 78.4 percent in 2012, the first year for which the Minnesota Department of Education has produced comparable data.

Results were mixed in the Twin Cities.

St. Paul Public Schools’ on-time completion rate fell 2 percentage points from the year before, to 74.9 percent.

Minneapolis Public Schools improved more than 3 points, to 69.1 percent.

St. Paul Superintendent Joe Gothard noted that several student groups outperform the state average but acknowledged many students are not “on track,” limiting their opportunities for higher education and careers.

“Overall, we know that we have to improve,” he told the school board Tuesday night.

The state still has wide gaps in on-time graduation between white and Asian American students and other racial groups:

white, 88 percent

Asian, 87 percent

multiple races, 72 percent

black, 67 percent

Hispanic, 67 percent

American Indian, 51 percent

But those gaps have narrowed with all racial subgroups showing marked improvement in recent years.

“While they are persistent they are closing,” Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker told reporters Tuesday.

In 2018, Minnesota set a lofty goal of bringing its graduation rate to 90 percent in three years with no single group below 85 percent. The state won’t come close if it keeps making incremental gains, as it did last year.

“We recognize that the goal we set for 2020 was ambitious, and it must be,” Ricker said.

Ricker said she’s been visiting schools that have had particular success with certain student groups, such as American Indians.

She cited Grand Rapids, which graduated 22 of its 24 Native students last year, and Deer River, which graduated 14 of 20.

Statewide, just 51 percent of American Indians last year graduated on time.

Ricker credited high schools statewide for embracing such programs as concurrent enrollment and seals of bi-literacy, which enable students to earn early college credit. Related Articles St. Paul schools superintendent gets high marks, but board wants progress on equity, enrollment, student achievement

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“There is no lack of ambition or creativity,” she said.

The state teachers union cited the graduation data as evidence the state must invest more in public education.

“Years of chronic underfunding have, without question, contributed to the gaps we still see in the data on graduation rates,” Education Minnesota President Denise Specht said.