Georgia’s public high school graduation rate rose last year, but not by much.

The 72.5 percent four-year graduation rate for the class of 2014 was up less than a percentage point from the prior year. It is a continuation of annual — but slowing — increases since 2011, when the federal government developed the new way of measuring graduation.

» SEARCHABLE DATABASE: Georgia's graduation rates

The four-year rate counts students who finish high school within the allotted time, and it forces schools to track students who move out of the district to ensure they got diplomas.

Georgia hasn’t fared so well under the new measure, consistently ranking near the bottom in the country through 2012. Nationwide numbers were not readily available for more recent comparisons.

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