RALEIGH -- North Carolina's Superintendent of Public Instruction says she is pleased with a gradual increase in graduation rates. The rates increased from 68 percent in 2006 to nearly 84 percent this past year.

June Atkinson says that's not the entire story.

"All of our sub-groups, our African American students, our Hispanic students, our students who have economic challenges, all increased."

She says a number of steps have been taken to make things better, including using computer programs to better identify at-risk students.