Statement by EdTrust-Midwest on High School Graduation Rate for 2025
“It’s promising that Michigan’s graduation rate has hit a record high,” said Brian Love, state director for EdTrust-Midwest. “It shows that the collaboration of our state leaders and educators is working for our state’s students. At the same time, our state leaders have more work to do to ensure all students are college and career ready, particularly students with the greatest needs.”
Unfortunately, too many 11th grade students are not college- and career-ready. Only 55 percent of Michigan students taking the SAT met the benchmark for reading and writing, and only 27 percent of those students met the benchmark for math.
Additionally, graduation rates remain stubbornly lower than the state average for Black and Latino students, students from low-income backgrounds, English learners, and students with disabilities.
“It’s important for state leaders to continue to invest in our schools, particularly those that serve high concentrations of students from low-income backgrounds, English learners and students with disabilities; develop research-backed policies to address our state’s early reading crisis; and support strategies to close opportunity gaps that leave too many students unprepared for college and career,” Love said. “Our students can’t wait.”
EdTrust-Midwest and partners are advocating for increased weighted funding for students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities and English Leaners to close these achievement gaps, so all students are well prepared after graduation.
