The national graduation rate is at an all-time high — 81 percent. It was such big news, President Obama touted it in this year's State of the Union address.
That got us thinking: What's the story behind that 81 percent?
Working with a team of reporters in 14 states, we set off to find out.
Turns out, it's a complicated number. Some states are doing good things to boost their rates, others, it's not so clear.
And all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer different stories. So, to better understand how each state awards diplomas, we compiled graduation info from every state (with help from the policy gurus at nonprofit Achieve).
Look up your state to learn more about what's happening in high schools near you.
Did we miss something? Anything we should add? Email us at npred@npr.org
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