Making Statistics Work for You

I recently ran across a blurb concerning high school graduation rates in the Midwest. Statistics for high school graduation rates as a percentage of possible graduates, 2002, were obtained from the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

Midwest Graduation Rates

• North Dakota 85%
• Iowa 85%
• Wisconsin 85%
• Minnesota 84%
• Nebraska 83%
• Kansas 78%
• Ohio 78%
• Michigan 78%
• South Dakota 76%
• Missouri 76%
• Illinios 74%
• Indiana 72%

Indiana doesn't compare very well to the rest of the region but still manages to come in above the 71% average for the entire country. New Jersey tops the list for the country with an 89% rate.

According to the New Albany-Floyd County schools website their graduation rate for 2005 was 96%. Even though I cannot determine from the information that I was considering whether the local rate was calculated in exactly the same way it looks like we are exceeding the average not only for our state and our region but we are exceeding the highest state graduation rate.

Just remember, if you are in need of a negative statistic, our state has the lowest graduation rate in the Midwest and nationally we are barely above average.

On the other hand, if you want to remind someone of one of the good things about our community you might refer to our school system's 96% graduation rate which is higher than the highest state graduation rate in the country.

And that concludes today's lesson on making statistics work for you.