by Dave Williams, Capitol Beat News Service

https://capitol-beat.org/category/capitol-beat-news-service/

 

ATLANTA – Georgia’s high-school seniors posted a record graduation rate of 85.4% this year, up from 84.4% in 2023, the state Department of Education reported Oct. 8.

The statewide graduation rate has increased by 18 percentage points since the state began using the adjusted cohort calculation first required by federal law in 2011.

“These students faced great challenges throughout their school careers,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said of the Class of 2024. “They were in middle school when the pandemic hit in 2020. We have worked to provide the resources and supports needed to ensure they could still succeed and thrive.

“The efforts of Georgia’s educators, families, and all those who have taken the time to invest in students are paying off.”

A total of 115 Georgia school districts recorded graduation rates at or above 90% this year, and 44 districts achieved graduation rates at or above 95%.

Graduation rates for both Effingham County high schools’ Class of 2024 topped 90% as well. In an email, ECSD Superintendent Dr. Yancy Ford reported that ECHS had a graduation rate of 90%, SEHS had a graduation rate of 91.4; and district-wide, the graduation rate was 90.7%.

Georgia uses a federally required method to calculate its graduation rate: The number of students who graduate from high school in four years is divided by the number of students who entered ninth grade. That ninth-grade enrollment number is adjusted to reflect the number of students who transfer in or out of a school over the next three years. 

The record high-school graduation rate is among several indicators of success announced in recent weeks. The Class of 2024 also beat the national average on the SAT and showed strong improvement on the Georgia Milestones tests.