The high school graduation rate for New York City's public school system continued its steady climb, according to state data released on Wednesday. Students graduating in June after four years in high school rose to 71. 1 percent, up from 70 percent the year before.
Mayor Bill de Blasio touted the city's rates at South Bronx Preparatory School, which boasts a 96 percent graduation rate, pointing to improvements across boroughs and demographic groups.
“Everything is going in the same direction. That's what's so good to see,” de Blasio said. “Every borough, people of every background, the trend is so powerful and so clear."
The graduation rate improved for English Language Learners too but they are far less likely to graduate than other students. Only about a third of English Language Learners graduated last year.
You can find more city data here.
The overall graduation rate for the city remains lower than the state's; the four-year rate in New York is just over 80 percent.
Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia praised the "incremental improvements" but bemoaned the persistent achievement gap.
"Troubling gaps in achievement persist, and we must accelerate the pace of improvement," she said in a statement.
A highlight in the state data was the 4.5 percentage point jump in Yonkers which recorded an 82.8 percent graduation rate in 2017.
