Florida Sees Record Breaking High School Graduation Rates as Educators Warn of Grade Inflation Danger

Florida’s high school graduation rate climbed to an all-time high of 88 percent in the 2022–2023 school year, during a period that some educators fear is rampant grade inflation. The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) tracked a 1.1 percent increase from the previous recording-breaking year in 2018–2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, when graduating classes were exempt from certain statewide standardized testing requirements. Almost all student subgroups saw an increase in their graduation rates over the past five years. Graduation rates for students with disabilities increased by 4.9 percent, while “economically disadvantaged” students’ rates increased by 0.9 percent. African American students increased their graduation rates by 1.7 percent since the 2018–2019 school year....