The Tennessee Department of Education announced Monday the 2022-23 statewide graduation rate is 90.6 percent, exceeding ninety percent for the first time and achieving the highest graduation rate on record since 2012.
“Tennessee's continuous commitment to ensuring students are successful in graduating from high school on time is demonstrated in this year’s statewide graduation rate and is a direct result of the hard work of Tennessee directors of schools, administrators, and educators have done with our families and students,” said Lizzette Reynolds, commissioner of Education.
“Earning a diploma and graduating high school is a milestone that unlocks so many opportunities for students as they begin their lives after K-12 education, and I am thrilled to see Tennessee’s graduation rate at a record high.”
For the 2022-23 school year, the most notable takeaways from graduation data include:
• Alcoa City Schools, Clay County Schools, Fentress County Schools, Haywood County Schools and South Carroll Special School District each had 100 percent graduation rates;
• 61 districts graduated 95 percent or more of their eligible students on time;
• 78 districts improved their graduation rates from 2022 to 2023, with nine districts improving by five percentage points or more;
• 896 more students graduated in the 2023 cohort compared to last year, for a total of 65,476 students graduating across the state;
• 29 districts improved graduation rates for the economically disadvantaged student group by five percentage points or more; and
• 37 districts improved graduation rates for the students with disabilities student group by five percentage points or more.
The department continues to offer several initiatives to accelerate academic achievement and prepare students for postsecondary success, including summer programming, TN ALL Corps, Innovative School Models and AP Access for All.