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Austin Graduations Rose Under Carstarphen, But Lagged Behind Statewide Rates

Nathan Bernier/KUT
AISD graduation rates rose under Superintendent Meria Carstarphen, but didn't match a statewide increase.

The largest school district in Central Texas has hit a record high graduation rate. But the Austin school district still lags behind the state average.

In the five years that former Austin ISD superintendent Meria Carstarphen oversaw the district before leaving for Atlanta, graduation rates rose by ten percent. In 2013, it hit a new high of just over 84 percent. And the increases in graduation rates were across all student groups in AISD, including Hispanics, African-Americans, economically disadvantaged and special education students. 

English language learners saw the biggest gain in graduation rates – rising by more than 5 percent to almost 70 percent. But Austin ISD is still playing catch-up with other school districts.

The statewide graduation rate was 88 percent – also a record high – but four percentage points higher than AISD. Texas-wide graduation rates for Hispanics and African-Americans also exceeded those within the Austin school district.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.
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