Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Betty Ford Classroom
Free and open to the public. Abstract: The U.S. high school graduation rate rose markedly during the first 70 years of the 20th century. This contributed to the human capital development that fueled economic growth and increases in standards of living. Since 1970, the U.S. high school graduation rate has stagnated, while those of other industrialized nations have risen. Do the patterns differ by gender, race, or ethnicity? Why should we care about these trends and patterns? Why did they occur?
Richard J. Murnane discusses high school graduation rate patterns and explanations using evidence from several national and state data sets. September, 2011.
