The National Center for Education Statistics released a report Tuesday that showed freshman four-year graduation rates statewide rose from 73.1 percent in 2006-2007 school year to 78.9 percent in 2009-2010. Nationally, the on-time graduation rate was 78.2 percent -- the highest since 1976.
However, nearly half of America's other states had four-year graduation rates higher than Texas. Vermont led the nation with a 91.4 percent rate, while Nevada was at the bottom with a 57.8 percent rate.
Among Texas Hispanic students, the on-time graduation rate for the Class of 2010 was 77.4 percent, compared to 69.4 percent for blacks and 82.8 percent for whites.
Overall, Texas' dropout rate fell to 2.7 percent for 2009-2010, compared to 3.2 percent the year before. Nationally, the dropout rate was 3.4 percent for the 2009-10 school year, according to the study.
The federal statistics center, which collects and analyzes school data from state and local officials, is run though the U.S. Department of Education.
Tuesday's findings were not as stellar as separate Education Department data released in November that showed Texas' four-year graduation rate was 86 percent for the Class of 2011. That mark tied the state with five others for the nation's third-best high school graduation rate -- and left top education officials crowing.
Federal officials arrived at the November number using a new data reporting system designed to make it easier to compare results across the country.
Texas, which adopted the reporting system several years ago, posted a four-year graduation rate of 86 percent for the Class of 2011, the same as Tennessee, New Hampshire, Indiana, Nebraska and North Dakota. That was a single percentage point behind Vermont and Wisconsin, and Iowa led the nation with 88 percent.
The November numbers were consistent with data from the Texas Education Agency, which reported in August that the four-year graduation rate statewide had reached an all-time high of 85.9 percent for the Class of 2011.
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