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High School Graduation Rate Reaches New High

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says changes made to demand more from teachers and students are paying off as high school graduation rates have reached a record high of 83.2 percent.

Obama is speaking at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington, D.C., wheregraduation rates jumped the highest in the country for the 2014-2015 school year.

Obama is telling students they can accomplish whatever they want in their lives, but he's also emphasizing that a high school education isn't enough. He says the students are going to have to find jobs in a global economy and that they will be competing against students from China and India for jobs.

The increasing graduation rates, however, come against a backdrop of decreasing test scores for students on national math and reading tests.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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