-- by Jennifer Medina, The New York Times:

For the fifth year in a row, New York City students’ on-time graduation rates have increased, showing small but steady gains, rising to 59 percent last year from 46.5 for the class of 2005, according to figures that state and city education officials released on Tuesday.

In 2008, 56.4 percent of the city’s students graduated within four years...

...Mr. Bloomberg called the improvements for Hispanic students the “most dramatic success story” among all ethnic groups, although just over half of Hispanic students graduated on time. Black students did slightly better, with 54 percent of students graduating by last June. And the so-called achievement gap persists: among white students, 74 percent earned their diploma on time, and 77 percent of Asian students did so.

Read More [1]