STUDENTS WHO ATTEND CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE, GO TO COLLEGE, REPORT FINDS

                        DATE:            April 28, 2010

                                                                                    FROM:           Don Clemmer

                                                                                                         O: 202-541-3206

                                                                                                         M: 260-580-1137

            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STUDENTS WHO ATTEND CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE, GO TO COLLEGE, REPORT FINDS

WASHINGTON—Students who attend Catholic high schools are more likely to graduate and attend college than students attending other schools, according to The Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment and Staffing , United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2009-2010, a report recently released by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA).

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 Catholic secondary schools report a graduation rate of 99.1 percent, higher than rates reported by other religious schools (97.9 percent), non-sectarian schools (95.7 percent) and public schools (73.2 percent). Students graduating from Catholic high schools are also more likely to attend four year colleges (84.7 percent) than students graduating from other religious (63.7 percent) and non-sectarian (56.2 percent) schools. Catholic school graduates are twice as likely to attend four year colleges as graduates of public schools (44.1 percent).

            Data for this analysis was collected from several publications of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as well as information collected by the NCEA.

            “This report illustrates the ongoing excellence of Catholic schools,” said Marie A. Powell, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “Catholic high schools have a remarkable record of graduating their students and preparing them well for post-secondary education. Their effectiveness in educating students, even from disadvantaged backgrounds, has been cited consistently in research published over the last 25 years. The Catholic community can be very proud of their support for such schools.”

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Keywords: Catholic Education, USCCB, graduation rate, college attendance percentage, Catholic schools, public schools, Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment and Staffing of United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2009-2010

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