MEDIA
CONTACT:
Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org
- Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
2015
4-year Cohort Graduation Rate - State District School.xls
2014
4-year Cohort Graduation Rate - State District School.xls
November 9, 2015 – Georgia’s 2015 high school graduation
rate rose significantly, from 72.5 percent in 2014 to 78.8 percent in 2015.
This represents the fourth straight increase in the state’s graduation rate.
“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,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods
said. “I expect we will continue to see the graduation rate increase as we
provide more personalized graduation plans with multiple paths to graduation.”
“In today’s
highly competitive workforce, a high school diploma is necessary to succeed in
a growing and changing economy,” said Governor Nathan Deal. “Our state benefits
as more qualified Georgians graduate high school and have the opportunity to
pursue postsecondary credentials and careers. 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.”
This
is the fifth year Georgia has calculated the graduation rate using the adjusted
cohort rate, which is now required by the U.S. Department of Education. The
four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate defines the cohort based on when a
student first becomes a freshman; it is calculated using the number of students
who graduate within four years and includes adjustments for student transfers.
In contrast, Georgia’s former graduation rate calculation defined the cohort
upon graduation, which may have included students who took more than four years
to graduate.
This
is the first class not required to take the Georgia High School Graduation Test
in order to receive a regular diploma, as Georgia moves away from a
one-size-fits-all approach to graduation.
There
is evidence that focusing less on testing, and more on career education and
personalized paths to graduation, opens up opportunities for students. The
graduation rate for students who complete a Career
Pathway is much higher – at 89 percent – than the rate for students who do
not.
Moving
forward, the GaDOE will continue to focus on personalized learning rather than
a standardized approach – including Career, Technical and Agricultural
Education (CTAE) and core credit flexibility, including the new flexibility
that allows
students to receive a math, science, or foreign language credit for a
computer programming course.
The
agency is also working to improve the graduation rate for students with
disabilities through
a statewide systemic improvement plan which establishes a network of
regional support to support local districts in implementing interventions
provided by the National Dropout Prevention Center.
All
states now calculate the graduation rate using the same formula, but each state
still sets its own requirements for students to earn a diploma. Georgia still
has some of the highest requirements in the nation for students to graduate
with a regular diploma.
More Information:
State
Graduation Rates
2015
– 78.8 percent
2014
– 72.5 percent
2013
– 71.8 percent
2012
– 69.7 percent
2011
– 67.4 percent
