This is very good news! The U.S Department of Education made an announcement on Tuesday and said that black and latino students in high school were graduating at record highs closing the gap with white students.

During the 2013-2014 school year 82% of students overall graduated. This included a record high for black and latino students aswell as oveall low income, students with disabilities and those still learning English.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said:

“America’s students have achieved another record milestone by improving graduation rates for a fourth year,”

“The hard work of teachers, administrators, students and their families has made these gains possible, and as a result many more students will have a better chance of going to college, getting a good job, owning their own home and supporting a family. We can take pride as a nation in knowing that we’re seeing promising gains, including for students of color.”

“A high school diploma is absolutely critical, absolutely attainable and key to future success in college, in the workforce and in life,”

“It is encouraging to see our graduation rate on the rise, and I applaud the hard work we know it takes to see this increase. But too many students never get their diploma, never walk across the graduation stage, and while our dropout numbers are also decreasing, we remain committed to urgently closing the gaps that still exist in too many schools and in too many communities.”