(Erika Mellon, Houston Chronicle)
Public schools in Harris County graduate a higher proportion of students than they did a decade ago, but roughly one-third still leave before getting a diploma, according to a new study by Children at Risk.
The Houston-based research and advocacy group also found that students from low-income families increasingly are graduating at lower rates than their more affluent classmates.
“That is something we’re absolutely going to have to get under control,” said Bob Sanborn, the president of Children at Risk. “If we truly believe that public education is the way to raise all ships, we can’t keep seeing this gap between those that are economically disadvantaged and those that aren’t.”
Based on the most recent data, 61 percent of low-income students in Harris County public schools graduated, compared with 72 percent of those from wealthier families, according to the study. The rates reflect students who entered ninth grade in 2004 and graduated by 2010. (Read full story here)
Related Read: What’s the Real Graduation Rate in Our Schools (Houston Chronicle)
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