By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Fewer than a third of New York City public high school students are college- or career-ready after four years in the system, said a report released by the State Department of Education on Monday and made available by the New York Times.
Only 23 percent of general education students who started high school during the 2005-2006 school year were ready for college or careers, compared to the roughly 65 percent who graduated, the report found.
Statewide, that number was 41 percent, compared to a graduation rate of 77 percent.
Earlier this year, Mayor Michael Bloomberg pointed to the city's growing graduation rate as evidence that his approach to schools was working.
The calculations were based on scores from the 2009 Regents exams. Students who received an 80 or better on the math Regents exam and a 75 or better on the English Regents exam were considered college- or career-ready.
That standard was based on expert analyses, which found that a person who received such scores was likely to get at least a C in a college-level course on the same subject, the Times reported.
The college-ready rate for charter schools was also dismal, with only 10 percent of students meeting the standard, compared to the 49 percent who graduated, the paper said.
