The high school graduation rate in Colorado inched up during the last academic year to its highest level in a decade as 84.2% of students received their diplomas on time, but it still lags behind the national rate, according to new state data released Wednesday. The statewide dropout rate — the number of students who left school before graduating — fell less than a percentage point to 1.9% during the the 2023-24 academic year, according to the Colorado Department of Education. Just under 9,000 seventh-to-12th-graders dropped out of school last year, which is down by 718 pupils compared to the previous year. Still, the graduation rate for most Colorado students of color, multilingual learners, children with disabilities and other groups lagged behind the statewide rate. “While we are seeing promising progress, we are continuing to see our students of color and our students with the highest needs graduating below our statewide rates,” Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova said in a statement. “I am encouraged by the momentum of our state’s multiyear improvements, especially in the gaps that are closing, and we also must do more to keep students engaged in meaningful learning experiences that prepare them for success after graduation.” As of the 2021-22 academic year, Colorado's high school graduation rate was behind the national average of 87%, the most recent figure available. The state's graduation rate was 82% that same year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.  Statewide, 58,318 students graduated within four years of starting high school in the 2023-24 academic year, which is up 1,506 pupils from the previous year. By comparison, 83.1% of high schoolers graduated on time during the 2022-23 academic year. Colorado students can take up to seven years to graduate high school. The gap between girls and boys graduating within four years narrowed in the past decade to 4.8 percentage points during the 2023-24 academic year. The graduation rate among girls was 86.6% while it was 81.8% among boys last year, data showed. But the state's graduation rate for Latino and Native American students remained below the statewide average despite increasing last year. Just over 77% of Latino students and 69.9% of Native American pupils graduated on time during the 2023-24 academic year. And 78.3 % of Black students graduated within four years last year, which was down 0.3 percentage points from the 2022-23 school year, according to the data. Asian students had the highest graduation rate at 93.2%, followed by white pupils at 89.1%, according to the education department. The four-year graduation rate for other groups also lagged the statewide average despite increasing from the 2022-23 academic year. Related Articles Education | Denver-area schools are training staff what to do if ICE agents show up at their doors Education | Opinion: Got ideas how to cut $1 billion without harming Coloradans? I chair the budget committee. Call my cell. Education | Colorado’s public school enrollment continues to fall, but immigrant students are helping fill classrooms Education | Justice Department investigating Douglas County School District’s response to racial discrimination, bullying of students Education | DPS board members express frustration after John Youngquist accused them of violating open meetings law For example, students with disabilities had a graduation rate of 71.9% -- up 2.6 percentage points -- and multilingual learners had a graduation rate of 70.7% -- an increase of 1.3 percentage points -- during the 2023-24 academic year, data showed "There's still work to be done to keep more students engaged," Córdova said during a media call, adding, "We have gaps that still persist." The Greeley-Evans School District 6 has added more school activities, such as sports and band, to keep students engaged. This is partly why the district's graduation rate jumped 3.6 percentage points from last year to 87.3%, said Anthony Asmus, assistant superintendent of secondary at the Greeley-Evans School District 6. When students have a strong sense of belonging, they feel more part of their school, he said.   Denver Public Schools' graduation rate rose from 79% in 2023 to 79.9% last year, while Jeffco Public Schools' graduation rate dropped slightly from 85% in 2023 to 84.6%, the data showed. Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter.