Nearly 89% of Indiana’s high school seniors graduated last year — the most since pre-pandemic days, according to new state data.
The latest numbers released last week by the Indiana Department of Education show a post-COVID rebound in which 88.98% of Hoosier students in the Class of 2023 graduated.
That’s up from 86.52% in 2022 and is the second-highest percentage of graduates since the state first began collecting data in 2012. Indiana’s highest graduation rate was in 2016 at 89.1%.
The 2014 graduation rate of 90.1% was the highest since Indiana began tracking graduations, according to IDOE.
“Earning a high school diploma is essential to unlocking a successful future,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a statement. “In the years since the pandemic, educators across the state have worked hard to ensure our students — our state’s future leaders — are more prepared than ever to emerge from high school and thrive. Through this work, Hoosier educators are helping students gain the knowledge and skills, as well as the confidence they need to determine their destiny.”
By the numbers
The graduation rates for all student subgroups except for American Indian and Native Hawaiian or other pacific islander students increased from the 2022 rates.
Statewide, graduation rates for Black students increased from 77.52% in 2022 to 82.43% in 2023.
Hispanic students saw a bump from 83.86% in 2022 to 86.41% in 2023. The English learner graduation rate additionally grew from 85.6% in 2022 to 87.72% in 2023.
Even bigger gains were reported among students in special education — from 76.39% in 2022 to 83.24% in 2023 — and those receiving free and reduced price meals, from 83.74% in 2022 to 88.74% in the last school year.
Students in non-public schools in Indiana graduated at a 91.97% rate while students in public schools graduated at a rate of 88.8%.
Still, students at traditional public schools in Indiana graduated at a higher rate than those at charter schools. State data shows that 91.29% of traditional public school students graduated in 2023, compared to 55.07% in charter schools.
State education leaders said the federal graduation rate for Indiana also increased for 2023 graduates to 87.52% from 85.12% in 2022. The federal graduation rate is calculated differently due to differences between state and federal accountability equations and standards.
Cracking down on waivers
The 2023 class also had fewer students using a waiver to earn a diploma. The state’s non-waiver graduation rate — the number of students who complete all their diploma requirements without needing a waiver — improved from 80.58% in 2022 to 84.92% in 2023.
Students who do not complete or pass some graduation requirements can still qualify for a diploma if they demonstrate knowledge or skill.
The waivers are intended to help students with special circumstances, including for those who transfer to a new school, or in cases where a student has attempted to pass competency tests at least three times.
Reducing the number of waivers used by Indiana high schoolers continues to be a focus point for state education and policy leaders.
Adopted during the 2023 legislative session, HEA 1635 established new caps on the percentage of graduation waivers that can be counted towards a school’s state and local graduation rate beginning with the 2024 graduation cohort.
Lawmakers set a 9% cap on the number of students who can graduate from a school with a waiver during the current 2023-2024 school year. After that, the cap drops to 6% in the following academic year, and down to 3% for each school year after June 30, 2025.
“As a state, we have worked very hard to reduce our waiver rate and keep our focus on ensuring students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life and in their career,” said Katie Jenner, Indiana’s Secretary of Education, in a news release. “Looking ahead, we will continue to make improvements to ensure Indiana has a diploma that maintains rigor while also increasing seamless pathways for students as they pursue employment, enrollment or enlistment leading to service."
