Study ranks N.J. first in high school graduation rate
New Jersey had the highest high school graduation rate in the country in 2002-03, according to a national study released Tuesday. But students in the southern part of the state did not fare as well as those in the north.
The report follows a 2005 conference at Columbia University's Teachers College on the social cost of an inadequate education. Research presented at the conference found that people who do not graduate high school earn about $260,000 less in their lifetimes, tend to have more health problems and are at greater risk of at some time depending on public assistance and committing crimes.
The report also shows that a third of students who do not graduate drop out in ninth grade, and that black, Hispanic and poor students, especially those in urban schools, are less likely to graduate than white and Asian students, and those who attend suburban schools.
This article, written by Diane D'Amico, appeared on www.pressofatlanticcity.com on June 21st, 2006.
Published Thursday, Jun. 22, 2006