Wisconsin high school graduation rates increase in 2019

MADISON — Nine out of 10 students in the class of 2019 completed high school within four years, continuing an upward trend, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction reported Tuesday.

The state's graduation rate has increased by 1.6% over the past five years. It is 90% in 2019, up from 89.6 percent in 2018 and 88.6% in 2017.

There were also improvements among smaller subgroups of students, including blacks, Hispanics and those learning how to speak English.

Black students in the class of 2019 graduated in four years at 71.3%. That is a 2-point increase from the previous year, and a 7.3 point improvement over the past five years. The 82.8% graduation rate for Hispanic students increased a half-point between 2018 and 2019.

English-language learners saw a 4.5 percentage point increase from the prior year, with a 74.6% graduation rate in 2019. That was up 12.4 points over the past five years, the education department said.

State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor called it a positive trend and attributed it to the "tireless work and dedication of our teachers and students.'