ST PAUL, Minn. — Good, but not good enough.
That's the message from state education officials as they announce the highest Minnesota graduation rate on record. Statistics released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Education indicate that 83.7% of students in the class of 2019 received their diplomas, a record. The 57,171 students who graduated represent a half-percentage point increase over the 2018 graduation rate, which was 83.2%.
The department says an additional 3,806 students from earlier classes earned their diplomas in 2019, graduating five, six or seven years after starting high school.
“I’m proud of all of our students, educators and schools for again posting the highest graduation rate on record," said Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker. "Reaching that high school graduation milestone is a pivotal moment on a student’s path to success because it opens up so many different life options.”
What state education officials are not proud of is the continuing achievement gap between white students and students of color and economically disadvantaged students. The graduation rate for African American students in 2019 was 69.9%, the same as the rate for Hispanic students. Both of those numbers represent improvement, but are still well below the graduation rate of 88.7% for white students.
Of special concern, the state says, is the fact that American Indian students have a graduation rate of 50.8%, a small dip over the 51% registered in 2018.
“Students of all races and ZIP codes deserve the same opportunity at achieving the life they have always dreamed," Ricker reflected. "We hear from students and families about what is important, including cultural competence, student voice and building relationships with our students. Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, and I will not stop until gaps are closed and every student in the state of Minnesota receives a world-class education from caring, qualified teachers in a safe and nurturing environment.”
On another positive note, the new statistics indicate fewer students are dropping out of high school. From 2018 to 2019, the overall statewide high school dropout rate decreased from 4.6% to 4.4% and also dropped for every student group.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article inverted numbers from 2018 and 2019.