Increased emphasis by high school principals and teachers on students to meet the academic requirements for graduation.
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That’s according to numbers reported by the state Department of Education. According to a news release, this is the fourth straight increase in the state’s graduation rate.
He says they’re also working on dual enrollment which will also help improve graduation rates.
Walton and Harrison high schools led the way in 2015 with 94.1 graduation rates, with Lassiter at 93.8 percent, Pope at 91.7 percent, and Hillgrove at 90.8 percent. Another Sandy Springs school, Riverwood, ranked second among local schools with a rate of 89.6 percent.
Mt. Zion began the program in 2012 and the remaining county high schools implemented it one year later.
In Bibb County, just 65 students completed all requirements except the graduation test last year, which means the graduation rate would have been about 62.7 percent without the test a year ago. Monroe’s rate hit 84.1% which is an uptick of 21.9 percentage points and Westover’s rate jumped the highest to 92.5% which was an increase of 23.75 percentage points. “While there is more work to be done, I am encouraged by our state’s progress as we continue to work together to provide Georgia’s students with a high-quality education”.
Previously, the state’s graduation rate defined the cohort upon graduation, which may have included students who took more than four years to graduate.
The graduation rate in 2015 for the Cobb school district overall was 81.4 percent in 2015, up from 78.2 percent in 2014 and 73.6 percent in 2011. “This 83 percent four-year graduation rate is the highest RCPS percentage since the adoption of the nationwide cohort model for measuring on-time graduation across the country”.
Bulloch County has seen a steady increase in its graduation rates, with numbers higher than the state average for five of the last six years.
In Bibb County, Hutchings College and Career Academy improved almost 28 percentage points year over year, and Central High School improved by more than 19 percentage points.
Most programs in the district exceeded the state average by at least 2 percentage points – Dutchtown High with the highest difference at 15.2 percentage points.
The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate defines the cohort based on when a student first becomes a freshman, explained officials.
“I appreciate the work of our administrators, faculty and staff to keep students focused and on track for graduation”.
“This is a day of celebration for our school system, our community, and the families of each additional graduate who has crossed the stage to receive a high school diploma”, proclaimed George Bevels, chairman of the Floyd County Board of Education.
Almost every district in this area said more students picked up diplomas in May. The position gave each school a caring adult to assist students at risk of not making it to graduation.
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State School Superintendent Richard Woods said in a press release that “the 2015 graduation rate shows that our schools are working harder and smarter than ever to ensure our students receive their diploma, something that affords them the opportunity to move on to postsecondary education, the military or directly into a meaningful career”.
