Tennessee’s high school graduation rate dipped for the second year in a row

Tennessee’s high school graduation rate dipped for the second year in a row, according to recently released data from the state. About 88.7% of public school students who graduated in spring 2021 did so on time, a rate that is a full percentage point down from 2020. The 1% decline pulls back nearly a decade of incremental graduation rate increases begun under former Gov. Bill Haslam that saw the state’s graduation rate increase by more 4%. The state’s graduation rate peaked in 2019 with an all-time high of 89.7%. Additionally, graduation rates dropped by nearly 2% for students who are considered economically disadvantaged and for students with disabilities