Mississippi’s 2022-2023 Graduation Rate Marks All-Time High, Dropout Rate Falls The 2022-2023 school year graduation and dropout rates show an all-time high 89.4% graduation rate and a dropout rate that de-
Mississippi’s Graduation Rate
87.7%
creased to 8.5%. Rates are based on students who entered ninth grade for the
84.1%
82.3%
83.2%
first time during the 2019-2020
84.0%
82.3%
84.6%
83.0%
85.0%
84.0%
disabilities, the graduation rate in-
The Mississippi Department of
89.4%
86.5% 85.0%
Mississippi
Graduation year
National Average
78.4%
Most recent data available
creased to 70%, and the dropout rate decreased to 17.7%.
88.9%
86.0%
80.8%
school year. Among students with
88.4%
74.5% 2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Education’s (MDE’s) latest figures
2020
2021
2022
2023
COVID-19 Disruption
mark a continuing trend for Mississippi’s public school students. The statewide graduation rate was 74.5% in 2013 and has increased annually. The rate does not in-
Mississippi’s Dropout Rate 13.9%
clude students who earned a GED
Mississippi
12.8%
or a certificate of completion.
Graduation year
11.8%
Pandemic disruptions affected the graduation rate in recent years.
10.8%
Due to COVID-19, passing require-
10.6% 10.1%
ments were waived for high school
9.7% 8.8%
end-of-year assessments in Alge-
9.0% 8.5%
8.5%
bra I, English II, Biology and U.S. History in 2020-2021. The waivers
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
have had a positive impact on the
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
COVID-19 Disruption
graduation rate, but that impact should diminish for the 2023-2024 school year. Mississippi’s graduation rate exceeds the latest U.S. rate of 86.5%
a .5% decrease from 2021-2022 and
tendent of education. “The MDE is
a 1.6% decrease among students
proud of our students’ continued
with disabilities.
achievements and remains com-
“The hard work of students,
mitted to ensuring all students
National Center for Education Sta-
parents, teachers, counselors and
graduate ready for college and ca-
tistics (NCES).
administrators across Mississippi
reer success.”
from 2019-2020 reported by the
The statewide dropout has de-
continues to produce outstanding
View the 2023 Graduation Rate Re-
creased from 13.9% in 2013. The
outcomes,” said Raymond Morgig-
port at mdek12.org/OPR/Reporting/
current dropout rate figures reflect
no, Ph.D., interim state superin-
Accountability/2024.
School Focus
12
Spring 2024