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Hillsborough Schools Graduation Rate Hits Record High

Education | Graduation | Diploma

The 85.8 percent graduation rate is 2.9 percentage points higher than last year and has risen 12.3 percentage points since 2014.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – Students, teachers and staff at all Hillsborough County Public Schools can celebrate with the announcement that the district’s graduation rate has risen to 85.8 percent, another all-time record high for the district.

The 85.8 percent graduation rate is 2.9 percentage points higher than last year and has risen 12.3 percentage points since 2014. The increase in the graduation rate amounts to 1,055 more students earning a high school diploma, which highlights the determination of students and the dedication of teachers and staff who work with them every day.

Because students with a high school diploma earn $380,000 more during their lifetimes compared with students who don’t graduate, this increase has an estimated positive economic impact of more than $400 million on the community.

Hillsborough schools continue to close the achievement gap – the difference in academic performance between groups of students. The number of African American students who graduated increased 5 percentage points in one year to 79.4 percent. The number of Hispanic graduates jumped 3.5 percentage points higher than last year to 83.4 percent. English Language Learners are up 6.8 points to 75.1 percent.

The district saw some of the biggest improvements among students with disabilities. A change in state law a few years ago now makes it possible for students with disabilities to earn a standard diploma instead of a special diploma, if they meet all graduation requirements. A high school diploma means that they can access many post-secondary opportunities, such as universities, technical colleges and they can join the armed forces, in addition to being more competitive in the workforce. The graduation rate for students with disabilities increased from 64.5 percent to 76.3 percent, a 11.8 percentage point jump.

 A few highlights:

For the second year in a row, Tampa Bay Technical High School near Temple Terrace has the highest graduation rate in the district with 99.1 percent, up 1.5 points from last year. The magnet school was just four students shy of reaching a perfect graduation rate.

Spoto High School in Riverview had the highest graduation rate increase, jumping nearly 8 percentage points from 80.4 percent to 88.3 percent.

The School Board set graduation rates as one of its priorities. Since Superintendent Jeff Eakins took the helm of Hillsborough County Public Schools, the graduation rate has steadily climbed from 76 percent in 2014-2015, to 79.1 percent in 2015-2016, to 82.9 percent in 2016-2017 and to 85.8 percent in 2017-2018.

Hillsborough Schools | Education | Graduation Rate | Tampabay News

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