UPDATE: Interview with Indy Chambers Tanni Barney on impact Chamber’s Common Goal Effort had in boosting gaduation rates! Graduation rates for Indiana’s high school students, including African-American high school students, increased dramatically among the Class of 2010, according to data released today (Dec 20th) by the Indiana Department of Education.
Statewide, 72.2% of all African-American members of the Class of 2010 graduated on time from Indiana public high schools. That’s up sharply from 65.9% in 2009 and 59.5% in 2008. The overall graduation rate for everyone in the Class of 2010 in Indiana high schools was 84.1%; up from 81.6% in 2009 and 77.8% in 2008.
The statewide gains were repeated among African-American graduates in Indianapolis/Marion County and the metro area.
Of the city/county’s eleven public school districts and nine public charter high schools, 73.9% of the African-Americans in the Class of 2010 graduated on time; in four years.
Excluding charter school graduates, the Black graduation rate in Indianapolis was 74.0%.
And including the largest suburban school districts with sizeable Black enrollments, the Black graduation rate of the Class of 2010 was 74.5%
PraiseIndy.com analyzed the African-American graduation rates in the school districts with the largest number of Black high school students in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. Of the districts analyzed, African-American graduation rates rose in thirteen districts or charters and declined in five.
At 58.3%, the Indianapolis Public Schools’ Black graduation rate was the highest it’s been since the state changed how graduation rates were calculated several years ago. And historic Crispus Attucks High School shares with Speedway High School a perfect 100% Black graduation rate for the Class of 2010.
After Attucks and Speedway, the top Black graduation rates for area high schools were: Ben Davis University (96.9%); Pike (89.0%), Mt. Vernon High (88.5%); Avon (87.8%); Ben Davis (86.3%); Carmel-Clay (86.2%); Lawrence North (85.6%); Herron Charter (85.4%); North Central (83.4%) and Charles Tindley Charter (83.3%)
Graduation rates in Indiana are computed by tracking each individual student in a high school’s freshman class for four years. Students not included in the graduate rate are not all dropouts. They include students who receive a GED diploma, or a certificate of Completion, or drop out.
Below is a Table comparing the percentage of Black students in statewide and in key Indianapolis school districts and charters who graduated from high school within four years over the last four school years.
CLASS OF 2010 BLACK FOUR YEAR GRADUATION RATES
MAJOR INDIANAPOLIS AREA SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Table Compilation©2010 WTLC/Radio One.
| SCHOOL CORPORATION | Class 2010 | Class 2009 | Class 2008 | Class 2007 |
| STATEWIDE | 72.2 | 65.9 | 59.5 | 56.7 |
| MSD Decatur Township | 78.4 | 83.3 | 58.7 | 67.9 |
| MSD Franklin Township | 74.3 | 52.9 | 69.2 | 51.4 |
| MSD Lawrence Township | 83.0 | 79.7 | 72.4 | 71.7 |
| MSD Perry Township | 71.3 | 71.4 | 68.9 | 59.8 |
| MSD Pike Township | 89.3 | 85.6 | 72.0 | 69.3 |
| MSD Warren Township | 71.8 | 67.3 | 60.9 | 72.1 |
| MSD Washington Township | 83.4 | 79.1 | 75.8 | 77.3 |
| MSD Wayne Township | 85.9 | 74.8 | 65.0 | 65.8 |
| Indianapolis Public Schools | 58.3 | 49.3 | 50.1 | 47.0 |
| Hamilton Southeastern Schools | 79.0 | 83.5 | 77.8 | 79.6 |
| Avon Community Schools | 87.8 | 90.9 | 69.4 | 84.4 |
| Brownsburg Community Schools | 80.5 | 78.8 | 74.1 | N/A |
| Carmel-Clay Schools | 86.2 | 80.0 | N/A | N/A |
| Mt. Vernon Community Schools | 88.5 | 71.4 | N/A | N/A |
| Noblesville Schools | 80.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Speedway Schools | 100.0 | 83.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Fall Creek Academy Charter | 76.9 | 33.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Charles Tindley Charter | 83.3 | 60.9 | N/A | N/A |
| Stonegate Early College Charter | 79.4 | 81.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Indianapolis Metropolitan Charter | 56.5 | 71.4 | N/A | N/A |
| Irvington Community Charter | 60.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Herron Charter | 85.4 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
