The Indiana Department of Education released the 2010 state graduation rates in January, showing a slight increase in the non-waiver graduation rate from last year.
The 2010 non-waiver graduation rate is 78.1 percent, while the 2009 rate was 75.6. The Indiana Academy for Science Mathematics and Humanities, located on Ball State campus had a graduation rate of 99.2 percent, and was among the top three schools with the highest rates.
The waiver is given to students who successfully completed the Core 40 coursework, met the achievement standard measured by the Graduation Examination, or completed an internship and a workforce readiness assessment. The waiver was created for students who didn't "test well."
The possibility of schools handing out waivers to students who are not prepared to graduate in order to have a better graduation rate is being closely examined by the Department of Education.
There is also the fear that students are leaving public school and participating in a homeschool program that does not have any learning benefits, and the school is granting a waiver in order to have more favorable statistics, Tony Bennett, superintendent of Public Instruction, said.
"We are doing these students no favors and must reexamine this process," he said in a statement. "Homeschool is an excellent choice for some students, and such a decision should be made with each individual student's needs in mind."
Bennett's goal is to have a statewide 90 percent graduation rate, which 36 percent of schools have already reached. The increase of high school graduates will have an effect on colleges and Indiana's economy, but it is impossible to say what the correlation will be just yet.
Judy Miller, director of the Office of Teacher Education Services, said the effect is always positive.
"The higher the graduation rate, the more competitive the state can be," she said. "The more educated people there are in the workforce, the better it is for the economy because there will be more high paying jobs that seek employers in Indiana."
Freshman Alex Benton, who is studying elementary education, said Ball State has a good plan when it comes to education and preparing teachers to help students stay on track to graduate.
She said she believes teachers play a big role in helping Indiana meet Bennett's goal of 90 percent graduation.
"If the student doesn't understand or have an interest, it's hard for them to accomplish what they need to accomplish."
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