Schools
Michigan Department Of Education Releases Graduation Rates For The 2018-2019 School Year
For the eighth consecutive year, Grand Rapids Public Schools saw an increase in district wise graduation rates.
The Michigan Department of Education recently released the graduation rates for the 2018-2019 school year. For the eighth consecutive year, Grand Rapids Public Schools saw an increase in district wise graduation rates.
Since 2012, the district’s graduation rates have increased by 71%. The official 4-year graduation rate for the Grand Rapids Public Schools is 76.20%. The numbers are equally impressive when broken down further:
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- All Schools – All Students: +71.01% (31.64 percentage points) increase since 2012
- African American Students: +70.63% (28.67 percentage points) increase since 2012
- Hispanic/Latino Students: +91.37% (38.94 percentage points) increase since 2012
- Economically Disadvantaged Students: +81.68% (32.73 percentage points) increase since 2012
- English Language Learners: +130.36% (42.51 percentage points) increase since 2012
Both City High Middle School and Grand Rapids Montessori High School had a 100% graduation rate in 2019, and Grand Rapids Learning Center had a +67.41% increase from last year alone, jumping from a 46.67% graduation rate in 2018 to a 78.13% graduation rate in 2019. Graduation rates for Hispanic/Latino have had a +91.37% increase over the last eight years, nearly doubling the grad rate in 2012.
“The consistent increase in our graduation rates is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our students and staff,” said Dr. Ron Gorman, Interim Superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools. “Our standards have remained high—higher than even the State of Michigan. The state requires 18 credits to graduate. GRPS students graduate with 22 credits, and I’m proud to see more students accomplishing that each year.”
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The growth in GRPS’ 4-year graduation rate over the last seven years has outpaced Kent ISD and the State of Michigan:
Breakdown by subgroup:
| Group | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Change in % pts |
| Overall | 44.56% | 47.31% | 49.56% | 56.20% | 65.54% | 66.58% | 71.25% | 76.20% | 31.64 |
| African American | 40.59% | 48.3% | 48.96% | 61.46% | 66.33% | 65.41% | 71.04% | 69.26% | 28.67 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 42.62% | 41.07% | 50.58% | 56.27% | 70.46% | 74.15% | 75.19% | 81.56% | 38.94 |
| Asian | 37.50% | 52.94% | 47.15% | 68.42% | 71.43% | 81.82% | 78.95% | 85.71% | 48.21 |
| White | 53.36% | 52.86% | 52.31% | 46.63% | 56.36% | 56.08% | 62.86% | 77.33% | 23.97 |
| Economically Disadvantaged | 40.07% | 44.49% | 47.29% | 55.10% | 62.64% | 64.59% | 71.64% | 72.80% | 32.73 |
| English Language Learners | 32.61% | 29.44% | 37.13% | 54.48% | 60.68% | 70.67% | 63.80% | 75.12% | 42.51 |
Breakdown by school:
| School Name | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Change in % pts |
| City High Middle School | 96.97% | 95.18% | 96.77% | 95.12% | 98.70% | 98.65% | 98.85% | 100.00% | 3.03 |
| Grand Rapids Learning Center* (alternative education) | 0.00% | 18.18% | 16.67% | 50.00% | 40.91% | 36.36% | 46.67% | 78.13% | 78.13 |
| GR Montessori* | 83.33% | 93.75% | 52.94% | 100.00% | 72.73% | 53.85% | 90% | 100.00% | 16.67 |
| UPrep | 90.63% | 92.50% | 90.48% | 93.48% | 95.65% | 96.97% | 6.34 | ||
| Innovation Central | 82.79% | 81.46% | 90.97% | 91.43% | 90.71% | 90.58% | |||
| Ottawa Hills | 54.95% | 67.62% | 52.90% | 55.36% | 68.60% | 65.17% | 70.49% | 68.75% | 13.80 |
| Southeast Career Pathways* (alternative education) | 4.82% | 1.49% | 9.52% | 4.55% | 25.00% | 58.06% | 54.17% | 64.52% | 59.70 |
| Union | 67.49% | 62.57% | 56.15% | 56.82% | 67.58% | 78.33% | 81.87% | 87.35% | 19.86 |
*Denotes small class size (30 or fewer students)
Comparison of graduation rates for subgroups from 2012-2019:
This press release was produced by Grand Rapids Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
