Chicago Public Schools announces record-high graduation rate
CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools is touting a record-high graduation rate for the class of 2021.
District officials say the five-year graduation rate for high school students is now 83.8 percent, which is up from 56.9 percent in 2011.
The school district’s goal is to reach 90 percent by 2024.
CPS CEO Pedro Martinez says the increase shows the dedication that teachers, staff and students had during the pandemic as schools were forced into remote learning.
"And I’ll tell you it was the work of our high schools saying, 'we're gonna make sure we find those children, we're not gonna give up on them,' and it's the relationships that have been built over time that I feel have made a big difference," Martinez said.
The district's one-year dropout rate also hit a record low of 3.8 percent, which is a 1.8 percentage point decrease from last year.