Montana graduation rates rise to 84 percent

HELENA (AP) — The Office of Public Instruction says Montana's high school graduation rate has risen slightly to 84.4 percent.

The numbers are from the 2012-2013 school year and marked an improvement from the 83.9 percent graduation rate a year earlier.

It is the third consecutive year in which the graduation rate has risen.

Superintendent Denise Juneau also said Tuesday that the dropout rate fell from 4.1 percent in the 2011-2012 school year to 3.6 percent last year.

Juneau credited the Graduation Matters Montana initiative with spurring communities and schools to work to improve students' college and career readiness.

She says most students drop out in grades 11 and 12, and she plans to introduce legislation to raise the legal dropout age to 18 or upon graduation.