Data can be brought to life with good engaging graphs which is a great kind of visual representation which helps us to understand data that could be otherwise confusing. Effective graphing gives authority and clarity to the presentation of data. However, some times graphs can be misleading with either accidental placement of information or intentional placement to obstruct proper interpretation of data. This paper is an analysis of a news story on “the breakdown of the US high school graduation rates” whose link is provided below to check the appropriate use of graphs and numbers.
The graph given is a summary of the likelihood of a student graduating having entered high school in different states. American education is run by the state government resulting in different approaches to learning as well as the quality of education offered. For instance, a freshman in Wisconsin and Nebraska has a double chance likelihood of graduating as compared to their colleagues in Mississippi and Nevada. The national graduation average is at 81.9% with Nevada being 27% below it with a 68% rate of high school graduation. According to the graph, most of the states are close to the national average where some stand low like New Mexico and Georgia and others high in the spectrum such as Minnesota and North Dakota.
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The story still indicates a higher number of female high school graduates in almost all states compared to the males with a discrepancy in Columbia and Mississippi districts at 25% and 17% higher compared to male graduation rates.
Additionally, another graph analyses graduation rates by states with anomalies brought about by low populations of different ethnic backgrounds. The Asians lead by 10% over white students with a 35% higher graduation rate than Blacks and native Americans.
Finally, another graph indicates that high school graduation rates in the U.S have been steadily increasing since the year 2000 with a positive investment in education through state governments.
In general, the graphs used to present this data give an excellent simplified visualization of the data which the author of the story wanted to pass across. They are straight to the point with the correct choice of graphing methods. The use of well-sized horizontal and vertical bars indicates the parameters in a clear realistic manner with the exact percentage measure given. This gives the reader an easy way to compare parameters appropriately. The graphs have also avoided complexity of gridlines, colors, tick marks and thus have focused on the reader’s attention. The choice of scales, keys, tittles and axes labeling gives reasonable feedback.
Reference Link
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/breakdown-of-us-high-scho_b_9265724?utm_hp_ref=statistics
