U.S. High School Dropout Rate Continues to Decline, Although Demographic Differences Persist

  • 10/26/16

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) — The share of 16-to-24-year-old civilian, non-institutionalized Americans who were not enrolled in high school and had not earned a high school diploma or alternative credential in 2013 was 6.8 percent, down from 14.1 percent in 1973, according to a new report by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Similarly, 92 percent of 18- to 24-year olds had received a diploma or GED in 2013, up from 83.7 percent in 1973 and 86.5 percent in 2000. However, differences exist by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, immigration status and state.

The nation’s progress in reducing the dropout rate is associated with social and economic gains. “Dropping out of high school is related to a number of negative outcomes,” the report’s authors note.

Findings presented in this report use 2013 dropout rates. Data sources include the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population and American Community Surveys as well as figures provided by NCES.

Key findings include:

  • The overall U.S. high school dropout rate in 2013 was 6.8 percent, down from 14.1 percent in 1973.
  • The 2013 dropout rates for Asian (3.2 percent) and white (5.1 percent) 16- to 24-year-olds were lower than those of their black (7.3 percent) and Hispanic (11.7 percent) peers.
  • Between 1973 and 2013, the dropout rates declined from 11.6 percent to 5.1 percent among white youth, from 22.2 percent to 7.3 percent among black youth, and from 33.5 percent to 11.7 percent among Hispanic youth.
  • Dropout rates also varied among Asian and Hispanic subpopulations. In 2013, the dropout rate for Costa Rican youth was 4.7 percent, compared with 27 percent among Guatemalan youth, 1 percent for Korean youth, and 20.7 percent among Burmese youth.
  • In 2013, 16- to 24-year olds from the lowest family income quartile had higher status dropout rates (10.7 percent) than their peers from the highest income quartile (3.2 percent).
  • Foreign-born Hispanic youth were much more likely to drop out compared with first generation Hispanics born in the United States: 22.8 percent versus 8.2 percent.
  • Dropout rates also varied by state, with the lowest rates in New Hampshire (3.1 percent) and Vermont (3.2 percent), while the highest rates were 11.6 percent in Louisiana and 10.9 percent in Nevada.
  • Youth with disabilities had a 14.9 percent dropout rate, compared with 6.4 percent for those without disabilities.
  • In 2013, some 92 percent of 18- to 24-year olds held a high school diploma or alternative credential, up from 83.7 percent in 1973 and 86.5 percent in 2000.
  • In 2013, the completion rates for white (94.3 percent) and Asian (96.3 percent) young adults were higher than the rates for their black (91.5 percent) and Hispanic (85 percent) peers. Additionally, the r ate for Pacific Islander (99.3 percent) young adults was higher than the rate for young adults in all other racial/ethnic groups.

Read the full study Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2013 at www.nces.ed.gov.

Featured

  • How One School Reimagined Learning Spaces—and What Others Can Learn

    When Collegedale Academy, a PreK–8 school outside Chattanooga, Tenn., needed a new elementary building, we faced the choice that many school leaders eventually confront: repair an aging facility or reimagine what learning spaces could be. Our historic elementary school held decades of memories for families, including some who had once walked its halls as children themselves. But years of wear and the need for costly repairs made it clear that investing in the old building would only patch the problems rather than solve them.

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Geometrik

    Armstrong World Industries, designer and manufacturer of interior and exterior architectural applications like ceilings, walls, and metal solutions, recently announced its acquisition of Canada-based Geometrik, according to a news release. The British Columbian Geometrik specializes in designing and manufacturing wood acoustical and wall systems.

  • California Middle School Completes Two New Academic Buildings

    Sunnyvale Middle School in Sunnyvale, Calif., recently announced that construction is complete on two new classroom buildings of two stories each, according to a district news release. The new wing will house seventh- and eighth-grade students and is part of a larger campus modernization project.

  • California High School Starts Construction on STEAM, Music Buildings

    Tamalpais High School, part of the Tamalpais Union High School District, recently broke ground on two new major facilities for its campus in Mill Valley, Calif., according to a news release. The district is partnering with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Lathrop Construction Associates for the Science Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and Music Buildings, both replacing their outdated counterparts.