GREATER SPRINGFIELD – Educators received a favorable report card themselves from the state. The Department of Education recently released graduation rates for the schools districts around the Commonwealth and the trend was on the way up.

In Chicopee, the four-year graduation rate was 80.2 percent, up from last’s year’s 78.1 percent. For Westfield, it was 86.3 up from 85.9 percent. For Holyoke the rate went from 60.2 percent in 2014 to 62 percent.

West Springfield saw a district decline from 81.2 percent in 2014 to 80.7 percent in 2015. West Springfield School Superintendent Michael Richard said that figure includes the graduation rate at 21st Century Skills Academy, an innovation school, which has the town’s most at-risk students. The graduation rate for West Springfield High School is 82.3 percent in 2015 (82 percent in 2014) is “much more indicative of who we are.”

Springfield saw the largest increase state-wide of any urban school district in graduation rates going from 61.6 in 2014 to 66.7 percent in 2015.

Agawam’s graduation rate was 90.5 in 2015, and 89.7 in 2014. Agawam’s School Superintendent William Sapelli told Reminder Publications Agawam’s graduation rate is “pretty consistent” and is usually in the upper tier across the state.

Gina Roy, the director of Student Services for Holyoke schools, said the district’s graduation rate leapt from 53.8 percent in 2013 to its present level of 62 percent because of programs designed to allow dropouts to come back to school by taking online classes as well as staring a program of graduation coaches to assist at-risk students.

The four-year state average graduation rate for the state was 87.3 percent for 2015.

Dropout rates also indicated progress. State statistics show the Commonwealth’s rate was 1.9 percent. In 2004-2005 it was 3.8 percent.

In Springfield the rate decreased from 7.2 percent in 2014 to 5.1 percent. In Chicopee there was a slight decrease from 4 percent in 2014 to 3.9 percent. Agawam saw a decrease from 1.6 percent to 0.9 percent, while West Springfield as a district was flat with 2.3 percent for this year and last year. West Springfield’s dropout rate was 2.1 percent.

Two districts showed an increase in dropout rates. Westfield went from 1.2 percent in 2014 to 1.9 percent in 2015, while Holyoke jumped from 6.4 percent in 2014 to 7.6 percent in 2015.

Springfield School Superintendent Daniel Warwick praised his staff, principals and faculty members for their efforts in producing such gains.  

He said, “The most important metric is the graduation rate.”

Each of the high schools in Springfield saw an increase in graduation rates and all but Central High School experienced a decrease in dropout rates.

Mayor Domenic Sarno noted the improvements at High School of Science & technology and said, “Sci-Tech has made one hell of a comeback.”

That school increased its graduation rate from 61.6 percent in 2014 to 66.7 percent in 2015. Its dropout rate went from 9.7 percent in 2014 to 4.1 percent in 2015.

Central High School’s graduation increased from 79.7 percent in 2014 to 85.8 percent in 2015. The High School of Commerce increased from 43.9 percent to 47 percent, The Renaissance School also increased from 87.2 percent from 88.9 percent while Putnam Vocational Technical Academy wert from 79.7 percent to 85.7 percent.

In Chicopee, the graduation rate this year for Chicopee High School was 83.1 percent compared to 76.9 percent last year. Chicopee Comprehensive High School had a rate this year of 83.9 percent and 82.8 percent last year.

Holyoke High School had a graduation rate of 70.7 percent this year compared to 68.4 last year. William Dean Vocation School had a graduation rate of 39.5 percent in 2015 and 41.5 percent in 2014.

Westfield High School had a graduation rate of 85 percent in 2015 and 84.7 percent last year. Westfield Vocational Technical High School had a 92 percent graduation rate in 2015 and 90.8 percent last year.