MISSOULA – Montana’s superintendent of public instruction says the state has hit a record graduation rate for last school year and dropout rates are on the decline.
The Missoulian reports that Denise Juneau says the 86 percent graduation rate last year was the highest since the state began counting such information in 2000. Dropout rates fell to 3.4 percent, a reduction of more than a third since 2009.
Juneau credited the Graduation Matters initiative for the state’s recent educational achievements. The initiative, which started in Missoula in 2010, focuses on getting the community involved to help students stay in school and on the path to graduation.
Fifty-three communities across the state have implemented the program.
Juneau says her office is focusing on Graduation Matters in communities with significant American Indian populations.