“In middle school, we have some bright spots, but we have not yet gotten the traction that we need, despite significant effort from our district and school staff,” she said. “Next year, we’ll have intensive support around our middle schools to address their unique needs and challenges.”

At the high school level, the district saw a 1-percentage point decrease in graduation rates in the 2015-2016 school year compared to the year before with 79 percent of MMSD students graduating from high school in four years.

There were single-digit percentage point gains in graduation rates for white, black, and Hispanic student groups, as well as English language learners. However, graduation rates remained steady at 47 percent for students with disabilities, decreased by 1 percentage point, to 83 percent, for Asian students and fell by 5 percentage points, to 77 percent, for multiracial students.

The biggest gaps in graduation rates in the district exist between African-American and white students, with 59 percent of black students graduating in four years compared to 90 percent of their white peers.

The report highlighted a 91 percent, six-year graduation rate across the district.