The graduation rate increased for the ninth consecutive year for Austin ISD's Class of 2016.

"I am so #AISDProud of the gains our students and staff have made in graduation and dropout rates," Superintendent Paul Cruz said. "This far exceeds the national rate. This is a great step in preparing all students for college, career and life and shows our dedication to reinventing the urban school experience."

AISD Class of 2008-16 graduation rates

AISD school years 2008-16 drop-out rates, grades 9-12

Austin ISD once again exceeded its own graduation rate, with 90.7 percent of seniors leaving the district with a high school diploma in 2016.This is the ninth-consecutive year AISD topped its own graduation record. In 2008, the graduation rate was 74.3 percent.Gains were also made in the graduation rates of specific student groups. The greatest increase was among the district's African-American population in which the graduation rate rose to 88.4 percent in 2016, up 3.8 percentage points from the prior year. More special education students also graduated from the class of 2016 compared with the previous year.The dropout rate in AISD is on the decline, too, according to the district. For the class of 2016, the drop-out rate was 1.1 percent, with the greatest improvement among the district's English Language Learners population, which saw dropouts decline of almost a full percentage point to 1.9 percent. AISD's African-American population saw an increase in the dropout rate from 1.4 percent to 2 percent.