New Hampshire High School Graduation Rates Stay High

WASHINGTON, DC — New Hampshire high school graduation rates maintained a very strong rate as the U.S. rate hit a record high, according to new data released Monday.

New Hampshire held steady, graduating 88.1 percent of students in 2014-15, the same as 2013-14. It's an increase over five years ago, when the graduation rate was 86 percent.

The nationwide numbers hit a record-high 83.2 percent, up from 82.3 the year prior and 79 percent in 2010-11.

President Barack Obama announced the news while speaking to students at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in D.C.

The new report released by the National Center of Education Statistics covers graduation rates from the 2014-15 school year for four-year public high schools. Improvements were found in nearly every state and across demographic backgrounds.

New Hampshire had higher graduation rates than the national average for the following demographics: American Indiana/Alaska Native students (75 percent), Asian/Pacific Islander students (91), black students (80), white students (88.9), economically disadvantaged students (76.7), students with limited English proficiency (77), and students with disabilities (73).

The Granite State had lower graduation rates than the national average for Hispanic students (75 percent).

Iowa led all states by graduating 90.3 percent of students, while Nevada was last at 71.3 percent.

Obama attributed the nationwide graduation rate increase and other improvements in schools nationwide to a variety of new programs from kindergarten to high school, along with hard work by students, teachers, administrators and communities.

The White House noted the high school graduation rate has "risen steadily" since Obama took office, increasing by four percentage points since 2010-11, the first year that states used a new measure of high school completion.

The District of Columbia made the greatest one-year progress between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years, improving its graduation rates by seven percentage points.

"You're an example of a school doing it the right way," Obama told the students at Benjamin Banneker, where the graduation rate is 100 percent. "When I took office almost eight years ago, we knew our education system was falling short when it came to preparing students… you are the reason we've made progress."

The 2014-2015 graduation rates nationwide showed progress for all reported "subgroups." Black students and people learning English showed the greatest increase in graduation rates over the last five years, with the former group increasing from 67 percent to 74.6 percent, and the latter going from 57 percent to 65.1 percent.

Year-by-Year Data: National Center for Education StatisticsIn speaking to the students Monday, Obama stressed that a high school education is not enough to succeed in the modern job market.

"You've got to get a little bit more than what you're getting in high school," he said. "In order for you to succeed in the marketplace, you've got to be able to think creatively, you've got to be able to work in a team."

Those skills come from some amount of higher education, and the president stressed how important it is for students to apply for grant and scholarship funding for college. "We've made it simpler than ever," he told the students.

Top image via Shutterstock

Dan Taylor, Patch staff, contributed to this report