Wisconsin high school graduation rates reach record high

New data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction shows high school graduation rates in the state at an all-time high.

In the 2023-2024 school year, 91.1% of Wisconsin high school students graduated on time. That’s the highest rate since 2009-2010, when the state changed the way it calculated graduation rates using a four-year adjusted cohort.

“This achievement reflects the hard work and commitment of Wisconsin’s students and teachers,” State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly said.

“It’s the result of countless hours, determination, and the strength of our community. This success shows what we can achieve when we work together. Moving forward, we must continue to build on this momentum and ensure every student is set up for success beyond graduation.”

Data released today shows that chronic absenteeism rates fell to 17.7% for the 2023-24 school year, while attendance rates climbed to 92.4%, marking the lowest and highest levels, respectively, since the 2020-2021 school year.

These new numbers prove to the DPI that the efforts to re-engage chronically absent and at-risk students are working. In 2023, the DPI and the Graduation Alliance will use federal ESSER funding and create the ENGAGE program. The DPI notes that Governor Evers has included funding to sustain this program in his proposed budget.

“Although we should celebrate our successes, we should all continue to be concerned about – and work to reduce – the disparities in graduation rates between different groups of students,” Dr. Underly said. “The reality is that students of color and other marginalized students are not doing as well, although those cohorts are also seeing some improvement. We need to double-down on making investments for those kids who need it the most. We should also be concerned that the federal government seems to want to end the collection of disparities data, which would hide these challenges rather than solve them.”

Take a closer look at data here.