Graduation Rates Increase in Buffalo | News

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The graduation rate this year increased by 6.6 percentage points. According to the NYSED data, the graduation rate for the Buffalo Public School district in 2011 was 54 percent.

The quality of the diplomas is increasing as well. 9.5 percent of students in 2011 graduated with a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation compared to 3.2 percent of students in 2010.

Performance in standardized testing is on the upswing as well. In relation to the Regents' Aspirational Performance Measures' targets for ELA and math, there was a 10.9% performance in the group of students who graduated in 2011, compared to the 8.1% performance of the previous year.

The school district implemented changes that increased attendance and incentives for teachers in Persistently Lowest Performing (PLA) schools. However, it acknowledges, in terms of graduation rates, it still has a long way to go.