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Roughly one in 10 high school students last year dropped out before graduating from San Francisco's public schools, new figures from the state show.

About 9.1 percent, or roughly 442 students, left before receiving their diplomas in the 2009 school year, down from 17.9 percent the year before, according to the state Department of Education.

The highest drop out rate last year was among African-American students (20 percent), followed by American-Indian (17 percent) and Hispanic (13 percent), according to the state.

Statewide, more than one in five high school students left school before graduation last year.

But the rates may not account for some dropouts, state officials say.

“The dropout rates are probably a little higher than those rates [reported for San Francisco] because it doesn’t count students who were sent to juvenile hall or alternative education programs during the year,” said Keric Ashley, director of data management at the state Department of Education.

The state does not track dropout rates for students attending programs run by the county offices of education, including juvenile hall programs.

The 2009 dropout rates, released by the state on Tuesday, are drawn from new data submitted by the state’s 1,500 school districts and charter schools under a $13.9 million program. The new system is intended to track individual students and teachers from year to year, giving state officials and policy makers information that will drive policy and funding decisions.

To compare San Francisco's dropout rate to other school districts, visit the California Department of Education website.