>> ERIC: AFTER DIPPING A BIT DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE GRADUATION RATE FOR THE MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2022 WILL BE 83.6%.

THAT'S CLOSE TO THE RATE PRE-PANDEMIC.

THE BIGGEST GAINS IN THE PAST YEAR WERE FOR BLACK, MULTI-RACIAL AND NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS.

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN, AND HOW MUCH SHOULD WE READ INTO THEM?

LET'S VISIT AGAIN WITH LONGTIME EDUCATION REPORTER BETH HAWKINS.

SHE WORKS FOR THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ONLINE PUBLICATION, THE 74.

- GRAD RATES UP SLIGHTLY, IS THAT BECAUSE STANDARDS HAVE BEEN LOWERED OR IS THERE SOMETHING POSITIVE GOING ON HERE?

>> I THINK THERE'S GOOD NEWS AND THERE IS AN ASTERISK.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THEY ARE INDEED UP AND INCHING CLOSE TO WHERE THEY WERE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, SO AS YOU SAID, 83.6%, IN 2024.

THAT'S UP FROM A LOW OF 83.3% BUT SHY OF 83.8%.

TICKING UP AND DOWN.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE NOT SO GOOD NEWS PART.

>> WELL, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE RACIAL DISPARITIES ARE STILL VERY STARK.

8% OF WHITE CHILDREN GRADUATED, 73% OF BLACK CHILDREN, 69% OF LATINOS, 61% OF NATIVE AMERICANS, AND TWO-THIRDS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

SO WE STILL HAVE SOME NATION-LEADING GAPS, BUT AS YOU ALSO MENTIONED, WELD A 3-POINT TICK UP IN BLACK STUDENT GRADUATION AND 2.5% IN NATIVE AMERICAN, SO THOSE ARE PRETTY STRONG GAINS.

>> Cathy: DO DIPLOMAS STILL MEAN WHAT THEY DID BACK IN THE DAY?

[Laughter] >> NO.

I THINK THE OTHER ASTERISK THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS IS THAT THESE GRADUATES ARE GOING INTO THE WORLD LESS PREPARED FOR COLLEGE AND CAREERS.

WE NOW FROM OTHER INDICATORS THAT THEY'RE NOT READING STRONGLY, THAT MATH SUFFERED TERRIBLY DURING THE PANDEMIC.

I THINK THAT THE AST NATION-WIDE NUMBERS SHOW THAT 20 YEARS OF PROGRESS HAVE BEEN WIPED OUT.

NOT SO MANY OF THEM ARE ATTEMPTING TO GO TO COLLEGE.

COLLEGE ENROLLMENT RATES ARE WAY DOWN, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN WHO DON'T OME FROM FAMILIES WITH HISTORIES OF COLLEGE.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE AN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT THAT'S GOING TO BE LIFELONG FOR THIS GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE.

>> Eric: BACK IN THE DAY, THEY JUST MEASURED SEAT TIME, BASICALLY, TO GET A DIPLOMA.

>> YES.

>> Eric: THAT DYNAMIC HAS CHANGED NOW, HASN'T IT, IN THE MODERN ERA, OR NOT SO MUCH?

>> YOU KNOW, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IN MINNESOTA, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS TO GET A HIGH SCHOOL CREDENTIAL.

I MEAN, IF YOU UNPLUGGED DURING THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE YOU HAD TO WORK, BECAUSE YOU HAD TO TAKE CARE OF SIBLINGS, THERE WERE A VARIETY OF WAYS TO GO BACK.

WE HAVE A NUMBER OF VERY STRONG, WHAT THEY CALL CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE FAIRLY QUICK, FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD WAYS FOR STUDENTS TO GET CREDENTIALS.

SOME STUDENTS HAVE REMAINED ENROLLED IN ONLINE SCHOOLS WHICH GIVES THEM THE FLEXIBILITY TO KEEP GOING.

I WOULD SAY THE THING THAT I'M MOST ENCOURAGED ABOUT, BY THESE NUMBERS, IS THEY SUGGEST THAT KIDS ARE PLUGGED BACK IN SOMEWHERE.

AND WHAT WE KNEW A YEAR AGO WAS THAT HIGH SCHOOLERS HAD DISAPPEARED IN HUGE NUMBERS BECAUSE THEY CAN, AND BECAUSE THEY'RE NEEDED OFTEN BY THEIR FAMILIES AND HEIR COMMUNITIES ELSEWHERE.

SO IF THEY'RE GRADUATING, THEY'RE PLUGGED IN SOMEWHERE.

>> Cathy: THAT IS GOOD NEWS, A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD NEWS THEN.

I WONDER, CAN YOU GLEAN ANYTHING FROM THE NUMBERS ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON LEARNING AND GRADUATION?

YOU TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.

>> YEAH, SO THE -- THE NUMBERS THAT CAME OUT FROM THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS A FEW WEEKS BACK WERE DEVASTATING.

THEY SHOWED VERY LOW NUMBERS OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING AT GRADE LEVEL.

THOSE TESTS ARE ADMINISTERED TO 4th AND 8th GRADERS BUT OF COURSE 8th GRADERS AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC ARE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NOW SO WHAT WE CAN EXTRAPOLATE FROM THAT IS THEY WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL THIS COLLEGE FOR THE MOST PART.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK A LOT HARDER IF STUDENTS CHOOSE TO GO THAT ROUTE.

CHOOSE TO GO DO SOME SORT OF BRIDGE THING THAT INCLUDES SOME REMEDIATION OR SOME ACCELERATION.

AND WE MAY HAVE TO -- WE OUGHT TO BE, I THINK, ADJUSTING OUR STRATEGY TO PROVIDE REALLY REALISTIC WORKFORCE OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE TOO MUCH GROUND TO MAKE UP.

>> Eric: HOW ARE WE DOING WITH THE TEACHERS OF COLOR?

[CHUCKLING] >> THAT'S BEEN A HOT BUTTON AT THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR.

WE'VE -- THE SENATE HAS ONE VERSION OF A BILL THAT WOULD ELIMINATE A PATHWAY TO LICENSURE FOR TEACHERS OF COLOR THAT HAS WORKED VERY WELL, VERY QUICKLY.

IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE BUT THERE'S A WAY FOR A TEACHER WHO'S NOT TRAINED IN A TRADITIONAL MINNESOTA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION TO GET A PERMANENT LICENSE IF THEY TEACH SUCCESSFULLY HERE FOR THREE OR MORE YEARS.

25% OF THOSE TEACHERS ARE TEACHERS OF COLOR AND IN THE FIRST YEAR THAT THE PROGRAM WAS MOVING TEACHERS INTO PERMANENT STATUS, 99 GAINED FULL LICENSURE.

2,000 SPECIAL EDUCATORS WHO ARE EQUALLY IN HORT SUPPLY, SO THE SENATE LAST WEEK REMOVED A PROVISION THAT WOULD HAVE ENDED THAT PATH TO LICENSURE BUT IT'S STILL IN THE HOUSE BILL AND THOSE HAVE GONE TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

>> Eric: A LOT OF MONEY THEY'RE THROWING AROUND FOR E-12 THIS YEAR AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

>> A LOT OF MONEY AND IN THE VERY, VERY LARGE BILL, ALSO A LOT OF THINGS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO REQUIRE DISTRICTS TO SPEND MONEY ON, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FOR HOURLY EMPLOYEES WHO STOP WORKING AT THE END OF EACH SCHOOL YEAR.

>> Eric: I SMELL UNFUNDED MANDATES.

>> YOU KNOW IT, YES.

PARENTAL LEAVE, SICK LEAVE, YEAH, SO -- >> Eric: ADDS UN.

>> SO THE 4% FOR NEXT YEAR WILL ACTUALLY MAYBE BE 2% OR LESS.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE YOU WATCH-DOGGING