Lori Higgins

Detroit Free Press

More Michigan students are graduating from high school on time, and fewer are dropping out.

Graduation and dropout rates for the Class of 2015 show 79.7% of students graduated in four years — up from 74% five years ago. Meanwhile, the dropout rate declined to 9.1%, from 11% five years ago.

The Class of 2015 began with 122,544 students statewide in the fall of 2011. Nearly 98,000 of them graduated on time in four years. But 11,176 of them dropped out. Another 1,210 received a GED or some other kind of certificate.

The remaining 12,385 students are off-track but continuing their high school education, meaning it may take them more time to finish.

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The most recent national data show that across all states the graduation rate was 82% for the 2013-14 school year.

Wendy Zdeb-Roper, executive director of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, said the continued improvement in graduation rates is a good sign. Last year, the grad rate for Michigan was 78.5%

"Schools are doing this with more rigorous standards and with pretty difficult graduation requirements," Zdeb-Roper said.

Michigan is among more than 40 states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards, a set of standards outlining what students should know to be prepared for college or careers after high school.

"I'm proud of the work our schools are doing and our students are doing under the constraints of these rigorous standards," Zdeb-Roper said.

Of course, graduation rates are just one indicator of success for schools and students. Statistics show that just 20% of the students were considered college-ready when they took the ACT as juniors last year.

The Michigan numbers also show that disparities continue to persist for low-income and minority students.

A breakdown:

For African-American students, the graduation rate was 67%, up from 57% five years ago. The dropout rate was 15.8%, down from 19.6%.

For American Indian students, the graduation rate was 70.8%, up from 62%. The dropout rate was 14.7%, down from 16%.

For Asian students, the graduation rate was 90.7%, up from 87%. The dropout rate was 5%, down from 6.5%.

For Hispanic students, the graduation rate was 72%, up from 62.6%. The dropout rate was 14%, down from 18.5%.

For white students, the graduation rate was 83%, up from 80%. The dropout rate was 6.9%, down from 8%.

For low-income students, the graduation rate was 67.4%, up from 62.9%. The dropout rate was 14.9%, up from 14.05%.

Contact Lori Higgins: 313-222-6651 or lhiggins@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @LoriAHiggins

Metro Detroit graduation, dropout rates:

Here are the 2015 rates for some school districts in metro Detroit:

Detroit Public Schools: Graduation rate, 77.3%. Dropout rate, 11.4%.

Utica Community Schools: Graduation rate, 92.4%. Dropout rate, 3.18%.

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools: Graduation rate, 89.5%. Dropout rate, 2.5%.

Dearborn Public Schools: Graduation rate, 89.8. Dropout rate, 3.8%.

Southfield Public Schools: Graduation rate, 92.7%. Dropout rate, 3.9%.

Warren Consolidated Schools: Graduation rate, 82.3%. Dropout rate, 4.5%.

Grosse Pointe Public Schools: Graduation rate, 95.08%. Dropout rate, 0.96%.

Bloomfield Hills Schools: Graduation rate, 95.3%. Dropout rate, 0.69%.

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools: Graduation rate, 90.2%. Dropout rate, 4.4%.

Chippewa Valley Schools: Graduation rate, 91.7%. Dropout rate, 2.75%

Farmington Public Schools: Graduation rate, 91.8%. Dropout rate, 2.3%

Troy School District: Graduation rate, 91.3%. Dropout rate, 2.91

Livonia Public Schools: Graduation rate, 91.4%. Dropout rate, 3.09%

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