LAS VEGAS (AP) -- New data from the U.S. Department of Education show Nevada's graduation rate is up, but is still last in the nation.
Preliminary figures released Tuesday show the state had a 57.8 percent graduation rate in the 2009-10 school year, which is well below the national rate of 78.2 percent.
But Nevada's rate is up from the previous school year, when it registered at 56.3 percent.
The report also shows Nevada's dropout rate was 4.5 percent in 2009-10. That's higher than the national rate of 3.4 percent, and it's not the highest in the nation.
Officials warn that graduation rates are estimates, and don't always account for students who transfer to other schools. States also have different definitions of a graduate, which can inflate some states' numbers and lower others'.
