LANSING, MI (AP)-- Michigan's high school graduation rates have increased for the third consecutive year, moving up to nearly 79 percent statewide.
According to data released Thursday by the Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information, the state's graduation rate was 78.58 percent for the 2013-2014 school year, up 1.62 percentage points from the previous year. The graduation rate was 74.33 percent in the 2010-2011 school year.
The Center's Director, Thomas Howell, attributed the increase in graduation rates since 2011 to "the more rigorous Michigan Merit Curriculum requirements" taking full effect.
Dropout rates, meanwhile, have continued a downward trend. In 2014, Michigan's dropout rate was 9.61 percent, down nearly 1 percentage point from the previous year. The dropout rate had been at 11.13 percent in the 2010-2011 school year.