BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Public Schools announced Wednesday that the district's graduation rate is now at 78.5 percent.
According to the news release, the graduation rate jumped 2.2% in points, "English Language Learners see an increase of 12.2% points in graduation rates, and the achievement gap between white and Black students continues to narrow."
BPS said the increase is due to the district's "strategically providing greater programmatic access, equity, quality, and opportunity for all students than ever before – all under conditions and challenges that came with the COVID-19 pandemic and remote instruction."
The districts also stated that its "high schools implemented multi-layered systems of academic and behavioral support that helped students and families understand what was needed to graduate on time."
BPS said that during the summer of 2021, the city and BPS collectively implemented a partnership that allowed students to earn money while making up work and accruing credits for graduation.
BPS graduation rate highlights below:
- The four-year graduation rate climbed from 76.3% to 78.5% (2.2% rise) for BPS high schools
- In BPS, 13 of 20 high schools had graduation rates of 80% or higher; 15 of 20 high schools had a graduation rate of 75% or higher
- The achievement gap between white students and Black students continues narrow from 5.5 percentage points (Cohort 2016) to 1.3 percentage points (Cohort 2017) (-4.2)
- The graduation rate for English-language learners (ELLs) rose from 57.5% (Cohort 2016) to 69.7% (Cohort 2017) (+12.2)
- The graduation rate for students with disabilities (SWDs) rose from 64.2% (Cohort 2016) to 64.4% (Cohort 2017) (+.2)
- The dropout rate decreased from 12.5% (Cohort 2016) to 10% (Cohort 2017) (-2.5)
The district also said that 13 of the city’s high schools had graduation rates of 80% or higher
Those schools are:
- Buffalo School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality
- Buffalo Academy of Visual and Performing Arts
- City Honors,
- Emerson School of Hospitality,
- Hutchinson Technical High School
- Frederick Law Olmsted #156
- Lafayette International
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Lewis J. Bennett High School of Innovative Tech,
- McKinley High School
- Middle Early College
- Research Lab for Bioinformatics, and
- South Park High School
High schools with graduation rates of 75% or higher:
- International Preparatory High School
- Math Science Technology Preparatory School
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