CDE Says State's Dropout Rate Falling

The state Department of Education says the percentage of Colorado high school students who drop out is falling.

The agency announced that nearly one percent more of the state's teenagers graduated high school in 2009 than did so in 2008.

“It is heartening to know schools in Colorado produced over a thousand more graduates last year than the year before. That is a reflection of the hard work by students, teachers and administrators and it is commendable,” education commissioner Dwight D. Jones said in a press release. “But we know we must redouble our efforts to ensure more students are graduating with a high school diploma that is their ticket to success in the workforce or in college.”

The state's high school graduation rate was 73.9 percent in 2008, 75 percent in 2007 and at 74.1 percent in 2006. It went up to 74.6 percent in 2009.