NJ high school graduation rates rose in 2024, while absenteeism dipped
But while high school graduation rates are on the rise, and the number of 11th and 12th graders meeting benchmarks in advanced college-level classes has increased, large gaps remain in these areas for low-income and other vulnerable student groups.
A slideshow discussing discipline, absenteeism and graduation rates was well received and triggered few questions from the 13-member State Board of Education during a presentation by department officials.The presentation did not include test and assessment data, which, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a national test conducted every two years, showed drops in reading proficiency among eighth graders to 38% from 42%.
New Jersey ranks higher than other states, but its performance on the NAEP was "objectively lackluster," said Paula White of JerseyCan, a K-12 watchdog organization.
New Jersey's four-year high school graduation rate last year was 91.3% — the highest rate since 2011, officials said. The five-year graduation rate was 92.6% and has stayed stable.
These numbers are calculated under state guidelines, which include students with Individualized Education Programs who may graduate using requirements that are different from those of general education students. Federal guidelines require graduation calculations to omit students with IEPs.
Four-year graduation rates for low-income and multilingual learners have steadily increased since 2011, reaching their highest in 2024, the state said.
The four-year graduation rate among economically disadvantaged students in 2024 was 87.1%, up from 86.6% in 2023 and 85.4% the year before. Students whose native language is not English also showed strong growth — with a four-year graduation rate of 78.9% in 2024, up from 73.6% in 2023 and 71.9% in 2022.
State officials said they were working to improve career-readiness programs in schools to give graduating seniors training in industry-specific areas, such as information technology, business administration and tourism, for entry into the job market right after school.
These programs culminate with a student earning an Industry Valued Credential — a recognized degree, diploma, certificate or certification awarded for an occupation.
The state offers 129 credentials in 13 career clusters. Interest in these programs has been on the rise, officials said — about 9,600 students received one or more credentials in 2024, up from 7,600 students the year before.
The industry credentialing was the result of a 'close collaboration' with the state Department of Labor & Workforce Development and is 'based on where the industry is in New Jersey, so that students coming out of high schools are prepared to go into the workforce right out of high school,' said Kevin Dehmer, the state education commissioner.
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More students took dual enrollment courses for college credit in 2024 than in 2023. The number went up to 26.9% from 24%, or 7,600 more students. Lower-income students had a much smaller participation rate, with 20.2% taking these courses in 2024.
Interest in college-level classes — Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate — has remained consistent.
New Jersey had the highest percentage nationwide of high schools offering five or more AP courses, at 86.9%, officials said.
In the 2023-24 school year, more than 60% of schools had a chronic absenteeism rate higher than 10.6%, compared with 32% of schools in the 2018-19 school year, before the pandemic hit. Chronic absenteeism data refers to students who miss more than 10% of a 180-day school year.
This year, the statewide average for the number of students who were chronically absent was 14.9%, compared with 16.7% last year, 18.1% the year before, and 10.6% in 2018-19. Chronic absenteeism spiked after the pandemic and still has not come back to pre-pandemic levels, both nationally and statewide.
Superintendents were offered resources at the county level to help develop action plans to address absenteeism over 10%, officials said.
The highest absenteeism rates were among homeless, disabled, foster and economically disadvantaged students.
Discipline data showed that fewer students received suspensions last year, with the number of in-school suspensions increasing and out-of-school suspensions decreasing. One of the more challenging outcomes of the pandemic was an increase in disruptive behavior in classrooms, as teachers reported higher anxiety among students.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ high school graduation rates rose in 2024, absenteeism dipped
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