Baltimore's high school graduation rate has been found wanting yet again - an abysmal 35 percent and fourth lowest among the nation's 50 largest districts, according to a new study. Even worse, the gap between the city's rate and the 82 percent rate in neighboring suburban districts was the nation's largest. State and city education officials are challenging the calculations - and even have two different calculations of their own. But they rightfully concede that whatever the numbers, they are far too low. Beyond Baltimore, the lack of urgency to help more students finish high school is apparent in similarly disturbing statistics across the country.
Determining how many students graduate and how many drop out can be tricky because there are different ways of counting them. The latest study, released by America's Promise Alliance, a partnership of business and nonprofit groups, uses a complicated formula that may not adequately account for student mobility, particularly in urban, minority districts. Using another method, the Maryland State Department of Education puts the city's rate at 60 percent, and city school officials give an estimate of 45 percent.
