Achievement Gap Narrows; Graduation Rates Rise

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy stopped by New Haven Academy Wednesday to announce that graduation rates in the state, and New Haven specifically, continue to increase.

In 2014 the state upped its graduation rate to 87 percent, an increase of 5.2 percentage points since 2010. New Haven made even greater gains: graduation rates rose for the sixth year in a row to 75 percent. New Haven’s graduation rate has climbed 13 percentage points between 2010 and 2014.

The graduation-rate gap between black students and white students decreased by 13.6 percentage points in 2014, and decreased by 18.3 percentage points between Hispanic and white students. Malloy reported that suspensions and expulsions also saw an 8.5 percent decline between 2013 and 2014.

Of the seven state ​“alliance district” schools that saw the greatest increases in graduation rates, four of them were in New Haven: New Haven Academy, James Hillhouse High School, Hyde School and Metropolitan High School. The alliance district includes the 30 lowest performing school districts in the state. ​“Educational reform districts” are a subset of Alliance Districts that represent the 10 lowest performing in the state. New Haven Public Schools are an educational reform district.

Malloy likened finishing high school and obtaining a high school diploma to receiving a $1 million winning lottery ticket.

“The average wage earning difference between someone who does graduate high school and someone who doesn’t during their employment lifetime — the difference is approximately $1 million,” he said.

Mayor Toni Harp (at right in photo with New Haven Academy Principal Greg Baldwin) said that not only are graduation rates up, but the percentage of students from New Haven high schools who complete a second year of college also has increased by more than 10 percent.

Harp said obtaining a high school diploma means higher wages, better health, better marriages and less crime, overall, ​“a more stable and productive life.”