Resource
Closing the Graduation Gap: Progress and Challenge in Raising High School Graduation Rates in Indiana
November 27, 2017
In 2015, Indiana had both the highest high school graduation rates of any state in the
nation at 87.1 percent, and the narrowest graduation gap—4.5 percentage points—between low-income and non-low-income students. This happened in a state in which well more than one-third of the cohort of students were low-income. Indiana was also in the top five states for closing the graduation gap between all and low-income students from 2011 to 2015.
nation at 87.1 percent, and the narrowest graduation gap—4.5 percentage points—between low-income and non-low-income students. This happened in a state in which well more than one-third of the cohort of students were low-income. Indiana was also in the top five states for closing the graduation gap between all and low-income students from 2011 to 2015.
This report considers factors that have contributed to Indiana’s progress, as well as the challenges that remain. In particular, the report focuses on closing gaps for those subgroups of students that still lag behind their peers, such as African-American students, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners.
Key findings from the report include:
- Regardless of income-level in suburbs, small towns, and rural areas, students are graduating on time at high rates; however, both low-income and non-low-income students in city schools graduate at much lower rates. Roughly 78 percent of low-income students in city schools graduated on time in 2015, compared to 87 percent in suburbs and about 88 percent in small towns and rural areas.
- Districts in Indiana that are seeing success are focusing on tactics that already have a strong evidence base for success. This includes the use of Early Warning Systems (with a strong focus on Attendance), building strong relationships between students and caring adults, connecting education in the classroom to future employment and higher education opportunities, and careful implementation of social and emotional learning.
- New accountability plans under ESSA, which will take hold in 2017-18, may cause a dip in Indiana’s high graduation rate. While students are defaulted into the Core 40 diploma, students may still earn the less rigorous general diploma, which ESSA will now exclude from graduation counts. Recent data show about 12 percent of Indiana students earned a general diploma, and in some districts that number is much higher. School, district, and state leaders will have to do more to put students on track to earn one of the Core 40 diploma options in order to maintain high overall graduation rates. This is an opportunity for the state to reinvigorate its efforts to ensure that every students has access to a high quality education and earns their high school diploma prepared for the next steps.
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