RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - For the tenth year in a row, North Carolina's high school graduation rate has risen, now sitting at 85.4 percent. The data is among the numbers released Wednesday as part of the school performance grades now required by the General Assembly.

The report also showed that just more than seven out of 10 traditional public schools -- 72.2percent -- received a school grade of "C" or better. Public charter schools scored slightly lower, with 70.4 percent received "Cs" or higher.

As required by state legislation, the School Performance Grades are based 80 percent on the school's achievement score and 20 percent on students' academic growth.

In a statement, State Superintendent Atkinson expressed concern that schools with high percentages of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds were most likely to receive "Ds" or "Fs."

Full data and charts can be found at ncpublicschools.org.