News Brief
South Carolina Dropout Rate Declines for 4th Straight Year
Associated Press (07/24/13) Adcox, SeannaThe South Carolina Education Department reported a decline in the state's dropout rate for the fourth straight year, with dropout rates declining in 51 of the state's 85 school districts. In the 2011-12 school year, more than 5,200 9-12th-graders dropped out, or nearly 670 fewer students than a year earlier and 2,800 fewer than in 2007-08. Moreover, white, black, Hispanic, and poor students also posted better rates for staying in school, with the largest improvement among black students. The state's graduation rate for 2012 neared 75 percent for those earning a regular diploma in four years. State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais said that declining dropout rates should lead to better graduation rates, a key indicator of success for the entire kindergarten-through-12th grade system. "The path to prosperity for South Carolina's economy begins, but does not end, with greater numbers of high school graduates," he explained.
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