Updated 09/15/2017

The 2016-17 graduation rate of 89.1 percent is the highest on record for Tennessee, according to a press release from Gov. Bill Haslam and Education Commissioner Candice McQueen.

The statewide graduation rate is up more than half a percentage point since last year, and overall it has increased 3.6 percent since the 2010-11 school year. This year, graduation rates increased in nearly 56 percent of districts with high schools.

The state transitioned to a more rigorous calculation for graduation rates in 2011, and even under the new criteria, rates have continued to rise. This year, the most notable gains and overall achievements include:

13 districts improved graduation rates by 5 percentage points or more.

43 districts—about one-quarter of the districts in the state—have graduation rates at or above 95 percent, up from 36 districts last year.

The group of students who identify as Black, Hispanic or Native American increased its graduation rate by 0.4 percentage points to 83 percent, which is a three-year high.