SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A new report says the high school graduation rate in Utah this year has increased for the seventh consecutive year.
The state Board of Education has released data Monday stating that 43,500 students graduated from district and charter high schools representing about 90% who entered as freshmen four years earlier.
The overall graduation rate increased by 0.4% since last year and is up by more than 3% in the past five years, board officials said.
Monticello High School was one of 14 schools to have a 100% graduate rate, meaning each of its 300 seniors enrolled graduated, officials said. Last year, there were 10.
Some of the overall gains could be attributed to increased graduation rates among some of the larger demographic groups including students with disabilities, board spokesman Mark Peterson said.
“Equity is a hallmark for the board and that is something that we’re working with all the LEAs (local education agencies) on is to make sure disadvantaged students do better while not having traditional students suffer,” Peterson told the Deseret News.
Despite the growth, the lowest graduation rates were among students who are economically disadvantaged at 77.3%, English learners at 72.8% and students with disabilities at 72.4%, officials said.
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