California’s High School Graduation Rate Passes 80% for First Time

For the first time in California history, the high school graduation rate has surpassed 80%, mirroring a trend nationwide, officials announced Monday.

The numbers of Latino and African American students getting diplomas are increasing more rapidly than those of their white and Asian peers, suggesting that the state is succeeding in narrowing its academic achievement gap among racial groups, California education officials said.

(READ the story in the LA Times)