School Information System

State Aims to Remake High Schools

Brian Tumulty on the achievement gap:

Wisconsin needs to boost graduation rates among blacks and other minorities, the state superintendent of instruction said Sunday as a two-day national summit on the future of high schools ended here.

“We have an achievement gap and we need to ensure every child is graduating from high school,” Elizabeth Burmaster said. “That’s the issue.”

Although Wisconsin boasts one of the highest high school graduation rates in the nation — 92 percent overall in 2002-2003 — only 63 percent of blacks, 76 percent of Hispanics and 78 percent of American Indians complete high school in four years.