Ed department to release 2017 grad rates

State education officials plan to release Minnesota's 2017 high school graduation rates Tuesday morning.

Education officials are aiming for a four-year graduation rate of 90 percent by the year 2020, with individual groups including students of color, low-income students and those with disabilities all above 85 percent. The goal is outlined in Minnesota's federally-required school accountability plan.

Over the past several years, graduation rates have fallen short of the progress needed to meet those goals.

2016 rates showed small gains and slight narrowing of gaps between students of color and white students. Minnesota's overall 2016 four-year high school graduation rate was 82.2 percent. Just over half of American Indian and Alaskan native students and about two-thirds of black and Hispanic students received a diploma in four years.

Minnesota Department of Education staff said 2017 rates will be calculated using a slightly different methodology than in years past. Education officials plan to release re-calculated rates back to 2012 for comparison. The changes stem from a 2015 update in federal education law. Among the updates is an increase in the number of student racial groups to differentiate Asian and Pacific Islander students and add a multi-racial category.