Georgia makes big jump in graduation rate nationally

Georgia’s public school high school graduation rate rose by more percentage points than any other state, with only Washington, D.C. having a higher increase, according to federal data released Monday.

The state’s graduation rate rose from 72.5 percent for the 2013-14 school year to 78.8 percent for the 2014-15 school year. The graduation rate in Washington, D.C. went up from 61.4 percent to 68.5 percent. President Obama planned to visit a school in the nation’s capital Monday to tout the increases there and nationally.

Georgia education officials say graduation rates have risen due to several factors, such as schools doing a better job of using data to track academic performance to help students improve.

Georgia’s graduation rate, though, is still below the national average of 83.2, a record high, White House officials said in a news release. State officials have blamed the below-average graduation rate on more rigorous course requirements.

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