Tennessee High School Graduation Rate Hits All-Time High

NASHVILLE, TN — Tennessee education officials gleefully announced that the state's graduation rate of 89.1 percent for the 2016-17 academic year is the highest on record, but Davidson County's dropped.

The statewide graduation rate is up more than half a percentage point since last year, and overall has increased 3.6 percent since the 2010-11 school year. This year, graduation rates increased in nearly 56 percent of districts with high schools.

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Statewide, 43 districts had graduation rates of 95 percent or higher, including Williamson and Rutherford. Davidson County's graduation rate was 80.3 percent, which was down from 81 percent last year. Download the graduation rates for all districts and high schools here (warning: this is a very large file).

“Teachers and educators in Tennessee have worked tirelessly to support students and these record graduation rates show their hard work is making a difference,” Gov. Bill Haslam said. “As more students graduate from high school, we are committed to helping them go to college, succeed and become skilled members of Tennessee’s workforce. The graduation rate is reflective of the many gains we are making in education in our state.”

According to the state:

• 13 districts improved graduation rates by 5 percentage points or more. The district with the most significant gains was Lake County, up 23.1 percentage points.
• The group of students who identify as Black, Hispanic or Native American increased its graduation rate by 0.4 percentage points to 83 percent, which is a three-year high.

“Teachers and students across the state should be proud of their hard work, and it is always encouraging to see that more students than ever are earning high school diplomas,” Education Commissioner Candace McQueen said. “Now we must focus on ensuring students are fully prepared for the academic and professional opportunities that come after high school graduation, so graduates can truly use their diplomas to seamlessly move into their next step.”

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