Georgia's high school graduation rate has increased for the fifth year in a row, according to information released Tuesday by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE).
The 2016 rate is 79.2 percent, although that rate could change, since some school districts submitted incomplete data to the state. The 2015 graduation rate for all schools was 78.8 percent.
“The 2016 graduation rate shows our schools continue to make progress by offering students an education that is relevant, keeping more students in school and on a path to a better quality of life,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said in a press statement.
“As part of VISION 2020, we have a goal of exceeding the national average graduation rate by the year 2020, ensuring that more students will receive a meaningful high school diploma that prepares them for a successful and productive future.”
Woods said moving forward, the GaDOE will be driven by VISION 2020, the expression of the GaDOE’s strategic plan that ensures Georgia schools remain fully focused on supporting the needs of children. He said the very basic idea is to offer a holistic education to each and every child in the state.
This is the sixth 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.
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.
Graduation rates for the past six years:
- 2016 – 79.2* percent [data is incomplete for some districts, so this number could change]
- 2015 – 78.8 percent
- 2014 – 72.5 percent
- 2013 – 71.8 percent
- 2012 – 69.7 percent
- 2011 – 67.4 percent
Follow this link to get information on individual high schools and school districts.
