Why Arizona High School Graduation Rates Matter
The Significance of High School Graduation and Its Economic Impact on Arizona
Graduating from high school is more than just celebrating four years of learning, making new friends, and trying new experiences. It is a celebration of the skills it takes to graduate high school successfully, namely critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication, all of which are highly valued by employers across all industries. A high school diploma is an important and critical first step to opening the door to a lifetime of options and the opportunity to pursue several pathways: continue with additional education and training, join the military, or enter the workforce. This Education Explainer discusses the importance of graduating from high school and examines the negative economic consequences of Arizona having one of the lowest graduation rates in the Nation.
Arizona’s High School Graduation Rate Falls Short of the National Average
In Arizona, we face a particularly acute challenge regarding our high school graduation rate; which remains remains well below the national average of 87%. The Arizona Education Progress Meter, produced as a collaborative effort between Education Forward Arizona and The Center for the Future of Arizona, identifies High School Graduation as one of the key metrics in the K-12 pipeline, as it allows students to achieve their full potential on the way to post-secondary enrollment. In addition, a recent report by The Grad Partnership shows that Arizona’s high school graduation rate continues to lag behind the majority of the country, while most other states are seeing significant increases. This has severe, long-term, and potentially irreversible economic consequences, as many individuals will not be able to fully participate in the workforce, limiting their earning potential, contributing to a cycle of poverty, and making Arizona less attractive to employers. Which makes it even more surprising that one of Arizona’s top education officials downplayed the importance of high school graduation as a metric, when asked about this concerning trend If every individual in Arizona attains at least a high school diploma, the odds of them reaching their potential and enjoying the financial benefits increase dramatically—creating benefits that extend to the entire state.
The Lasting Cost of Low Graduation Rates on Arizona’s Workforce
Graduating from high school offers individuals opportunities to develop High-Skill, High-Wage, and High-Demand (H3) careers and empowers them to contribute meaningfully to society. Additionally, graduating high school ensures that Arizonans are ready for the rapid changes of our world, as artificial intelligence and quickly accelerating industries, such as advanced manufacturing, are changing the landscape of our workforce.
The economic impact report, Billions to Gain, from Helios Education Foundation and Education Forward Arizona, clearly states that increasing the number of individuals who continue their education and training after high school not only has a profound positive financial impact on individuals but also on our state, resulting in a higher quality of life for all residents. If Arizona can increase the number of individuals who enroll in additional education after high school by just 20 percent, this would equate to a $5 billion economic impact each and every year for Arizona. Arizonans have Everything to Gain in our economy, in our workforce, in our communities, and as individuals when Arizonans continue their education and training beyond high school.
This should ultimately be the goal of every student, parent, educator, legislator, and policymaker in Arizona: Increase the number of students graduating from high school and continuing with additional education and training beyond high school. It’s an ambitious but achievable goal – especially if we work together.
Investing in Arizona’s Future: Critical Improvements Needed to Increase the College-Going Pipeline
To address this issue, Arizona must prioritize initiatives that support student success throughout their educational journey:
- Investing in early childhood education: Providing high-quality early learning experiences is crucial for building a strong foundation for future academic success… Arizona’s Early Childhood Agency, First Things First, dedicates their mission to create a high quality early childhood system that supports the health development, and education of Arizona children from birth to age 5 and they also believe that a child’s early years hold the key to their success – and Arizona’s.
- Adequately funding public schools: Ensuring that schools have the resources they need to provide a quality education in a secure, modern environment for all students is paramount.
- Implementing effective dropout prevention programs: Identifying at-risk students early and providing them with the necessary support and resources to stay on track.
- Creating supportive learning environments: Fostering a positive and inclusive school climate where students feel safe and secure enough to challenge themselves, leading to better learning outcomes.
- Addressing systemic barriers: Ensuring that all students, regardless of zip code, have the best chance possible of accessing a quality of education by ensuring availability of free and reduced lunch, increasing access to financial resources, and making regular guidance counseling available.
- Reducing chronic absenteeism: Providing opportunities for students, families and school personnel to collaborate to overcome barriers, allowing students to be in the learning environment and ready to be successful. New research from Helios Education Foundation WestEd found that 29% of students in grades 1-8 were chronically absent in 2022-23—still double pre-pandemic levels. Among mobile 8th graders, the rate skyrocketed to 55%. Read more about the bold action needed to combat the alarming chronic absence rates in Arizona schools.
Strengthening Arizona’s Education Pipeline for a Thriving Future
Graduating from high school is a critical step towards a brighter future. But, looking beyond high school graduation, Education Forward Arizona’s Everything to Gain Campaign is creating a statewide movement advocating for improvements through the PreK-20 education system to increase the college-going pipeline. Learn more at everythingtogain.org.
Building a strong education pipeline in Arizona is paramount to reaching the state’s attainment goal. The Arizona Education Progress Meter sets a 90% high school graduation goal, which reflects high performing states across the country. To reach that number Arizona must prioritize high school graduation as a top objective for students, administrators and elected officials. This will help the state on its path towards the Achieve60AZ goal, helping all Arizonans to have a better quality of life and in turn helping the state’s economy to thrive.