A new report from the U.S. Department of Education includes data on the racial gap in school dropout rates.
The report found that 5.7 percent of Black students in the 10th through 12th grades dropped out of school between October 2013 and October 2014. For Whites the figure was 4.7 percent. Some of these students undoubtedly came back to school at a later date.
In 2014, 7.4 percent of all Blacks ages 16 through 24 were not enrolled in school and did not have a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. For Whites the figure was 5.2 percent.
The report also notes that 91.7 percent of all African Americans ages 18 to 24 in 2014 had completed high school compared to 94.2 percent of Whites. Only 73 percent of all Black students received a high school diploma within four years of starting the ninth grade. For Whites, 87 completed high school in the standard four-year period.
The full report, Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2014, may be downloaded by clicking here.
