Special Populations
Kentucky's Widest Graduation Gap Belongs to English Learners
English learners graduate at 79%, 14.6 points below the state average, after a single-year reversal erased four years of progress.
Kentucky
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of Kentucky, grounded in Kentucky Department of Education data.
Brian Lile Puts School Culture First in Muhlenberg County
The lifelong Muhlenberg County resident says listening, relationships, and understanding why families choose other options will shape his first year as superintendent.
Melissa Collison Returns to Green County Intermediate as Principal
After beginning in Green County as a student teacher, Melissa Collison will lead Green County Intermediate with a focus on academic and emotional support.
Kentucky's SpEd Gap Is Narrower Than the Nation's
Students with disabilities graduate at 83.1% in Kentucky, a 10.5-point gap from the state rate. Nationally, that gap is 13 points.
Fewer Kentucky Students Need a Fifth Year to Graduate
The gap between Kentucky's four-year and five-year graduation rates fell to 0.6 percentage points in 2025, down from 2.1 points during COVID. But English learners still gain nearly 7 points from extra time.
More Coverage
Demographics
Hispanic Graduation Gains Erased in a Single Year
Kentucky's Hispanic graduation rate climbed 5 points from 2022 to 2024, then dropped 2.1 points in 2025, the only racial group to decline while every other improved.
Special Populations
Kentucky's Foster Care Graduates Beat the National Odds
Foster care students in Kentucky graduate at 82.5%, far above the national norm of 50-65%, after a 15-point climb since 2021.
District Spotlight
Louisville Gained 5 Points in 5 Years
JCPS climbed from 83.7% to 88.7% graduation rate since 2020, with Black students gaining nearly 9 points and briefly surpassing white students in 2024.
Equity
Kentucky's White-Black Graduation Gap: 3.9 Points
Black students in Kentucky graduate at 91.1%, cutting the gap with white students from 9.5 points to 3.9 since 2020. Both groups are above 90%.
Graduation Rate
Kentucky Graduates 93.6% of Students
Kentucky's 4-year graduation rate hit 93.6% in 2025, nearly 7 points above the national average, with Black students driving the largest gains.
District Spotlight
Hazard Cut Its Chronic Absence Rate Nearly in Half
Hazard Independent dropped from 43.2% to 22.5% chronic absenteeism in two years — the biggest turnaround in Kentucky, in the heart of Appalachia.
Demographics
English Learners Are Kentucky's Attendance Overachievers
Kentucky's 54,712 English learners have a 22.7% chronic absence rate — below the state average. EL enrollment grew 22% while attendance improved.
District Spotlight
Bowling Green Keeps Chronic Absence at Half the State Rate
Bowling Green Independent, a diverse refugee-rich district of 5,229, posted a 12.6% chronic rate — less than half Kentucky's 25% average.
Equity
In 7 Kentucky Districts, Black Students Attend Better
Seven large districts show Black students with lower chronic absenteeism than white students — a reversal of the national pattern that raises questions about what drives racial attendance gaps.
District Spotlight
Louisville's One-in-Three Attendance Problem
JCPS chronic absenteeism dropped to 33.1% but 32,670 students still miss too much school. The Black-white gap reaches 10.4 points.
