MEDIA
CONTACT: Meghan
Frick, GaDOE Communications Office, 404-463-4246, mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us
School
& district results: Excel
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September
19, 2018 – Georgia’s
high school graduation rate increased again in 2018, rising to 81.6 percent
from 80.6 percent in 2017.
This
is an all-time high for Georgia’s graduation rate since the state began using
the adjusted cohort calculation now required by federal law. Seventy-four
Georgia school districts recorded 2018 graduation rates at or above 90 percent.
“Georgia’s
graduation rate continues to rise because our public-school students have
access to more opportunities than ever before,” State School Superintendent
Richard Woods said. “From Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education to dual
enrollment to the fine arts, there is an unprecedented emphasis on supporting
the whole child and making sure every single student understands the relevance
of what they’re learning. I’m confident we’ll continue to see these gains as
long as we’re still expanding opportunities that keep students invested in
their education.”
Georgia
calculates a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate as required by federal
law. This rate is the number of students who graduate in four years with a
regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form
the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. From the beginning of ninth
grade, students who are entering that grade for the first time form a cohort
that is subsequently “adjusted” by adding any students who transfer into the
cohort during the next three years, and subtracting any students who transfer
out.
While
all states use the same calculation, each state sets its own requirements for
students to earn a regular high school diploma. Georgia has some of the highest
requirements in the nation for students to graduate with a regular diploma.
Georgia
Graduation Rates – 2012 to 2018
2018
– 81.6 percent
2017
– 80.6 percent
2016
– 79.4 percent
2015
– 79.0 percent
2014
– 72.6 percent
2013
– 71.8 percent
2012
– 69.7 percent