Yonkers Public Schools Increases Graduation Rate

The New York State Department of Education reports that the Yonkers Public Schools has, once again, increased its graduation rate, reaching 69 percent for 2010. The percentage, which includes August graduates, is based on the 2006 cohort. Yonkers’ August graduates increased the District’s 2010 graduation rate by 6 percentage points over the June 2010 figure of 63 percent. At 69 percent, Yonkers is just 7 percentage points below the State average, 76 percent, and enjoys the highest graduation rate of the State’s large urban districts.

In addition, the District’s achievement gap continues to close for many of its students. The 2010 graduation rates for Hispanic students, 68 percent, and African American students, 64 percent, are significantly higher than Statewide 2010 graduation rates for the two groups, at 57 and 58 percent, respectively.

Yonkers Superintendent of Schools Bernard P. Pierorazio said he was encouraged by the results, which show that the Yonkers Public Schools is moving in the right direction, but explained that the District still has work to do. He identified the graduation rate for students with disabilities, 32 percent, as an obvious area in need of improvement. “The results are far from ideal, especially for our special needs population. Obviously, we need to work harder to ensure that every child meets the graduation requirement in four years,” stated Pierorazio.

Despite Yonkers Public Schools’ ongoing financial crisis, which has forced the District to eliminate hundreds of positions and curtail programs, indications are that the graduating class of 2011 will surpass the 2010 class and, once again, show positive results.