Click Above to Hear Interview. Runs 61 Minutes ©2012 WTLC/Radio One. Afternoons with Amos focused on the release of graduation rates for the high school Class of 2011, especially African-Americans. Amos broke down the data and discussed the results and its meaning with listeners and a panel which included Tammie Barney, VP, Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce; Karega Rausch of Indiana Stand for Children and Mark Russell, Indianapolis Urban League. Read the detailed report on Black graduation rates below:
Continuing a strong multi year increase, four year graduation rates for Indiana’s high school students, including African-Americans, continues to improve.
Graduation data for the Class of 2011, released Tuesday (Feb 7th) by the Indiana Department of Education, reported that, statewide, three-in-four (75.2%) of Black high school students in the Class of 2011 graduated on time.
That’s up a bit from 72.2% last year and up sharply from 2009 (65.9%) and 2008 (59.5%).
The graduation rate for all Indiana 2011 high school graduates was 85.7%; up slightly from 84.1% in 2010, 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, 77.6% of the African-Americans in the Class of 2011 graduated on time; in four years. Excluding charter school graduates, the Black graduation rate in Indianapolis was 79.5%.
And including suburban school districts with sizable Black enrollments, the Black graduation rate of the Class of 2011 was 78.4%. Excluding charters, the graduation rate was 80.2%.
PraiseIndy.com analyzed African-American graduation rates in 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 seventeen districts or charters and declined in six.
At 64.2%, the Indianapolis Public Schools continues to improve with the highest Black graduation rate since the state changed how graduation rates were calculated several years ago.
IPS’ Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet and Wayne Township’s Ben Davis University High School had perfect Black graduation rates of 100%.
Rounding out the top ten Black graduation rates for area high schools were: Brownsburg (97.7%), Avon (93.0%), Key Learning Community (92.9%), Mt. Vernon Community (92.9%), Herron (the top performing charter high school at 91.9%), Pike (90.1%), Noblesville (89.5%), Carmel (88.9%).
Next were: Warren Central (88.7%), Ben Davis (88.4%), Speedway (88.2%), Fall Creek Academy (87.5%), Franklin Central (87.2%), Manual (87.2%), Hamilton Southeastern (85.4%), Lawrence Central (85.3%), Charles Tindley (84.6%), Southport (83.6%), Lawrence North (83.1%), Perry Meridian (82.5%), Fishers (82.2%), Decatur Central (79.5%) and North Central (77.4%).
Black graduation rates for other IPS high schools were: Arlington (76.7%), Broad Ripple (73.7%), George Washington (66.7%), Howe (65.1%), Northwest (62.4%) and Arsenal Tech (61.9%).
Reported Black graduation rates for Indianapolis charter high schools are mixed. While Herron, Charles Tindley and Fall Creek Academy have strong Black graduation rates other schools had mixed results.
The now closed Stonegate Early College High School’s Black graduation rate was 69.2%; Irvington Community HS (46.7%). Two charter high schools which focus on students re-entering school to complete their education; which can be longer than four years, had mixed results. Indianapolis Metropolitan High school’s Black graduation rate was 41.9%. But the Excel Center’s Black four year graduation rate was 0% because that school’s students take longer than four years to finish school.
Because of that, the Black graduation rate for Indianapolis charter high schools is just 50.0%. Factoring out Excel and Indianapolis Metropolitan, Black graduation rates for charters rises to 78.5%.
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.
Read the table comparing the percentage of Black students statewide and in key Indianapolis school districts and charters who graduated from high school within four years over the last five school years.
CLASS OF 2011 BLACK FIVE YEAR GRADUATION RATES
MAJOR INDIANAPOLIS AREA SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Table Compilation©2012 WTLC/Radio One.
| SCHOOL CORPORATION/CHARTER | Class
2011 |
Class 2010 | Class 2009 | Class 2008 | Class 2007 |
| STATEWIDE | 75.2 | 72.2 | 65.9 | 59.5 | 56.7 |
| MSD Decatur Township | 79.5 | 78.4 | 83.3 | 58.7 | 67.9 |
| MSD Franklin Township | 87.2 | 74.3 | 52.9 | 69.2 | 51.4 |
| MSD Lawrence Township | 84.3 | 83.0 | 79.7 | 72.4 | 71.7 |
| MSD Perry Township | 83.1 | 71.3 | 71.4 | 68.9 | 59.8 |
| MSD Pike Township | 90.1 | 89.3 | 85.6 | 72.0 | 69.3 |
| MSD Warren Township | 86.5 | 71.8 | 67.3 | 60.9 | 72.1 |
| MSD Washington Township | 77.4 | 83.4 | 79.1 | 75.8 | 77.3 |
| MSD Wayne Township | 89.1 | 85.9 | 74.8 | 65.0 | 65.8 |
| Indianapolis Public Schools | 64.2 | 58.3 | 49.3 | 50.1 | 47.0 |
| Hamilton Southeastern Schools | 83.7 | 79.0 | 83.5 | 77.8 | 79.6 |
| Avon Community Schools | 93.0 | 87.8 | 90.9 | 69.4 | 84.4 |
| Brownsburg Community Schools | 97.7 | 80.5 | 78.8 | 74.1 | N/A |
| Carmel-Clay Schools | 88.9 | 86.2 | 80.0 | N/A | N/A |
| Mt. Vernon Community Schools | 92.9 | 88.5 | 71.4 | N/A | N/A |
| Noblesville Schools | 89.5 | 80.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Speedway Schools | 88.2 | 100.0 | 83.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Fall Creek Academy Charter | 87.5 | 76.9 | 33.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Charles Tindley Charter | 84.6 | 83.3 | 60.9 | N/A | N/A |
| Stonegate Early College Charter | 69.2 | 79.4 | 81.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Indianapolis Metropolitan Charter | 41.9 | 56.5 | 71.4 | N/A | N/A |
| Irvington Community Charter | 46.7 | 60.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Herron Charter | 91.6 | 85.4 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Excel Center Charter | 0.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
