Urban schools in Massachusetts have made large gains in reducing the number of dropout.
State education officials say over the last five years the dropout rate in Springfield – the state’s second largest school system—improved from 9.6 percent to 6.5 percent. Dropout rates also fell over the last five years in Boston, Worcester, Lawrence and New Bedford. The dropout rate for all schools in the state averaged 2.2 percent—the lowest in more than three decades. The graduation rate improved for the seventh consecutive year. Officials say 85 percent of the state’s students now graduate high school in four years.
