"Even though Mississippi is graduating a higher percentage of black male students than the national average, a report released Tuesday shows fewer than half are leaving school with a diploma.

State public schools are lagging behind the nation in graduating males - especially white males.

The national report, Education Week's Diploma Counts, was funded by by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mississippi's male graduation rate, according to the report, is 11.6 percentage points below the national rate, with the largest disparity for white males - 13.5 percentage points below."