Graduation rates for Pittsburgh Public’s regular high schools have increased since 2012, and a handful of city schools and one charter saw racial achievement gaps of fewer than 10 points on some state tests last school year.

But the latest report from educational advocacy group A+ Schools also found that high percentages of students missed 10 percent or more of school days or received suspensions during the 2015-16 school year — and that the state’s version of the national Common Core State Standards for grades 3-8 made narrowing the difference between black and white achievement an even bigger challenge.

Executive director James Fogarty on Monday presented the organization’s 12th Annual Report to the Community on Public School Progress in Pittsburgh, compiled using district- and state-reported data from the 2015-16 school year for 51 district schools and eight charter schools within city limits.

The 117-page assessment outlined high points, such as Pittsburgh Beechwood PreK-5’s earning the district’s highest third-grade reading rate for black students on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and a graduation rate change from 75 percent in 2011-12 to 79 percent last school year for Pittsburgh Public Schools’ regular 6-12 and 9-12 schools.

Propel Hazelwood, Pittsburgh Westinghouse 6-12 and Pittsburgh Westwood K-5 saw notable decreases in chronically absent students, with drops of 22, 13 and 8 percentage points, respectively. Pittsburgh Miller 6-8, Pittsburgh Morrow PreK-4 and Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12, however, had increases in the category of 10, 10 and 9 percentage points, respectively.

About two-thirds of students at Milliones, also known as University Prep, and Pittsburgh Perry High School missed 10 percent of the school year, Mr. Fogarty said.“We know if we’re going to try and accelerate student achievement at those schools, we need [students] in school with an engaged program and for students to feel safe there,” said Mr. Fogarty, who replaced longtime A+ Schools chief Carey Harris last month. “That’s something that’s got to be a priority for this district. I know it is.”

Notably, Pittsburgh Lincoln K-5 saw a 15 percentage point drop in suspensions from 2014-15 to last year, and Pittsburgh Arsenal 6-8 and Pittsburgh Miller PreK-5 each went down 9 percentage points in the same period. Mr. Fogarty noted some “concerning trends” regarding suspensions at Urban Pathways K-5 College Charter School, Pittsburgh Arsenal K-5 and Manchester Academic Charter School, all of which saw increases in suspensions.

Still, he added, “We were heartened to see our big high schools that had some of the highest rates of suspensions— most of them saw some level of decrease last year in suspension.”

Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, who spoke at the A+ Schools’ news conference with Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers president Nina Esposito-Visgitis, said when 97 percent of teachers are rated distinguished or proficient in teacher effectiveness, but “our student data doesn’t reflect that, that’s a concern for me.”

“We have schools that are doing well, in silos and pockets. ... We need to have system-wide change,” he said.

The full report can be found at aplusschools.org.

Molly Born: mborn@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1944 or on Twitter @molly_born.

First Published: November 22, 2016, 5:16 a.m.