Graduation Rate
Erie Wasn't Pennsylvania's Only Large District in Decline. It Was Second-Worst.
Fourteen large traditional Pennsylvania districts declined from 2011 to 2024. Wilkes-Barre Area fell the most; Erie fell the second-most.
Pennsylvania
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of Pennsylvania, grounded in Pennsylvania Department of Education data.
Did Act 158's Five Graduation Pathways Change the Game in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's graduation rate ticked up after Act 158 created five pathways to a diploma, but without pathway-level data it is impossible to measure the effect.
Shane Hazenstab Begins at Penns Valley With Trust and District Value in Focus
Penns Valley's new superintendent says relationships come first as he enters a district with a long enrollment decline.
Female Students Cross 90% for the First Time as Pennsylvania's Gender Gap Holds Steady
Female students in PA crossed the 90% graduation threshold for the first time in 2024 while the gender gap has remained stable at roughly 4 points for 13 years.
19 Pennsylvania Districts Graduate Below 70%, and 15 of Them Are Charter Schools
Of 19 PA districts with sub-70% graduation rates in 2024, 15 are charter or cyber charter schools, raising questions about accountability frameworks.
More Coverage
Equity
Pennsylvania's Special Education Graduation Gap Narrowed Less Than One Point Since 2017
Pennsylvania's special education graduation rate reached 76% in 2024, while its gap with all students narrowed from 12.9 to 12.0 points over seven years.
Graduation Rate
79 Pennsylvania Districts Hit All-Time High Graduation Rates in 2024
79 Pennsylvania districts reached record-high graduation rates in 2024 while 26 hit personal lows, with most districts graduating above 90 percent and the top-to-bottom gap slowly narrowing.
Career Technical
Pennsylvania's CTE Centers Are Graduating Nearly Everyone: 97.9% Weighted Rate
Ten Pennsylvania career and technical education centers with cohorts of at least 50 students posted a 97.9% weighted graduation rate in 2024, with two centers at or above 99%.
District Spotlight
Pittsburgh's Quiet Turnaround: Four Straight Years of Graduation Gains Reach 87%
Pittsburgh's graduation rate hit 86.9% in 2024 after four consecutive years of improvement; district leaders point to lower student-to-counselor ratios and closer monitoring.
Equity
The Poverty Graduation Gap That's Actually Closing: Pennsylvania's Low-Income Rate Hits 83%
Pennsylvania's economically disadvantaged students graduate at 83%, and the poverty gap with all students narrowed 55% since 2011.
Graduation Rate
Philadelphia's Graduation Rate Jumped 21 Points, the Biggest Urban Turnaround in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia's graduation rate rose from 55% to 76% since 2011, the largest urban improvement in PA, driven by the 9th Grade Success Network.
Equity
Pennsylvania's Racial Graduation Gap Cut in Half: Black Students Gained 15 Points in 13 Years
Pennsylvania's white-Black graduation gap dropped from 23 to 11 percentage points since 2011 as Black students' rate soared from 65% to 81%.
Graduation Rate
Pennsylvania Hits All-Time High 88% Graduation Rate While Producing Fewer Graduates Than 2011
Pennsylvania's four-year graduation rate reached 88% in 2024, but the state produced nearly 6,000 fewer graduates than in 2011 as cohorts shrank 10%.
District Spotlight
Pittsburgh's Chronic Absence Rate Falls to 33% From a 42% Peak as Text Reminders Reach 60% of At-Risk Families
Pittsburgh SD's chronic absence rate has come down from its 42% pandemic peak to 33%, with text-message reminders improving attendance for 60% of at-risk students.
Demographics
PA English Learners Close the Chronic Absence Gap
English learner students are the only group in Pennsylvania whose chronic absence gap has fully closed, matching the statewide rate at 20.4%.
