Black students fare better in Vigo Schools

In 2006-07, the high-school graduation rate for Vigo County School Corp. black students was 63.2 percent, according to the Indiana Department of Education.That exceeded the statewide graduation rate for black students, which was 57 percent.Vigo County's black graduation rate also showed improvement over 2005-06, when it was 48.1 percent.The graduation rates for the past two years use a new state formula based on students who complete their high-school education in four years or less. Individual students are tracked through a Student Test Number system that began in 2002.Last month, the Indiana Youth Institute published a column praising the school district's efforts to raise the graduation rates of its black students, although IYI's numbers and methodology are different than what the state now uses.The IYI column — published by various media outlets — states that the black graduation rate increased significantly between 2001 and 2005.


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