Report: Low Grad Rates in US Cities

Interesting report from the AP on high school graduation rates.

Nationally, about 70% of high school kids graduate. Not a great statistic, but like most things it gets worse. According to the America's Promise Alliance, founded by General Colin Powell ( Ret. ), the graduation rate for city schools as opposed to rural or suburban, is much lower in some places.

School	Graduation Rate
Detroit public schools	24.9
Indianapolis Public Schools	30.5
Cleveland Municipal City School District	34.1

Note that this applies to city schools, not necessarily suburban schools in the surrounding area. From the article:

Researchers analyzed school district data from 2003-2004 collected by the U.S. Department of Education. To calculate graduation rates, the report estimated the likelihood that a 9th grader would complete high school on time with a regular diploma. Researchers used school enrollment and diploma data, but did not use data on dropouts as part of its calculation.

Many metropolitan areas also showed a considerable gap in the graduation rates between their inner-city schools and the surrounding suburbs. Researchers found, for example, that 81.5 percent of the public school students in Baltimore's suburbs graduate, compared with 34.6 percent in the city schools.

In Ohio, nearly 83 percent of public high school students in suburban Columbus graduate while 78.1 percent in suburban Cleveland earn their diplomas, well above their local city schools.

Seems the lesson is if you care about your children, get them the hell out of the city schools.