NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam says Tennessee has set a new high mark for its high school graduation rate.
A news release from the governor's office Thursday says the 2016-17 graduation rate of 89.1 percent has set a record. The rates increased in about 56 percent of districts with high schools.
The release says the rate is up by more than half a percentage point since last year, and overall it has increased 3.6 percentage points since the 2010-11 school year.
The administration says 13 districts increased their graduation rates by 5 percentage points or more. Lake County experienced the biggest improvement with a 23.1 percentage-point jump.
The release says the group of students who are black, Hispanic or Native American increased its graduation rate by 0.4 percentage points to 83 percent.