State High School Graduation Rate Increases

On Thursday, Gov. Charlie Crist announced that the high school graduation rate increased for the fifth year in a row in Florida -- rising more than 2.5 percent from the 2008-09 school year to 79 percent for the 2009-10 school year.

Floridas improved graduation rate clearly shows that our reform efforts are making a difference in our schools, and most importantly for our students, insisted Crist. I applaud our students, parents, teachers and school leaders for their hard work and significant improvement.

I am supremely proud of our teachers and administrators for the phenomenal efforts they are making to ensure more of our students leave school with a meaningful, vital credential, said Education Commissioner Eric Smith. Although these increases have been substantial, we must recognize that the road of improvement remains long, and only through continued hard work and a commitment to reform can we hope to travel it quickly.

The administration maintained that increased graduation rates among minority populations added to the rise in the total numbers as 3.5 percent more African-Americans and 3.2 percent more Hispanics graduated.

The state also trumpeted the decreased rate of high school dropouts to 2 percent, an all-time low.

Floridas rising graduation rates are great news for our state and our students, said former Gov. Jeb Bush, currently serving as chairman of the Foundation for Floridas Future. With the greatest gains coming from Hispanic and African-American students, our state continues to be a national leader in closing the achievement gap. While I applaud todays announcement, it is important to remember success is never final and reform is never finished. We must continue working to ensure our students gain the knowledge and skills to succeed in the global economy. Their success will determine our nations destiny.

This announcement proves that high expectations, accountability and school choice lead to increased student achievement regardless of where the students come from or their parents salaries, said Patricia Levesque, executive director of the Foundation for Floridas Future. Since the passage of the A+ Plan for Education, more students are reading at grade level, passing rigorous college courses, and graduating from high school.