Clayton County’s high school graduation rate rose this year, though Clayton County students still graduate at rates below the state average.
Districtwide, Clayton’s graduation rate for the Class of 2018 rose 2.1 percentage points, reaching 71.7 percent. The school system’s rate of improvement is about double the state average.
Statewide, the graduation rate was 81.6 percent, up 1 percentage point.
Lovejoy High School had the highest rate of improvement. In 2017, it’s graduation rate was 68.6. That jumped this year 14.6 percentage points to 83.2.
Two top schools were Elite Scholars Academy, which graduated 100 percent of its 62 seniors, and Martha Ellen Stillwell School if the Arts, which graduated 100 percent of its 133 seniors.
“This improvement in the four-year cohort graduation rate shows that our focus on continuous improvement and monitoring of high school student enrollment and withdrawal, the increased rigor of instruction in our high school classrooms and our efforts in assisting students to monitor and meet graduation requirements is paying dividends,” said Dr. Morcease J. Beasley, Superintendent of Schools.
“We are so proud of the members of the Class of 2018, their teachers, school administrators, and all the support personnel who have demonstrated their commitment to high performance as evidenced with these improved graduation rates.”
The school with the lowest graduation rates was Perry Career Academy, at a little more than 34 percent. It is an alternative school for students who have been expelled or otherwise face challenging lives.
“As expected, the Perry Career Academy reported a low graduation rate for its first year operating as an alternative, non-traditional high school and not a program,” Beasley said.
“The Perry Center is an important alternative solution to retain students in school who may be dealing with non-traditional personal situations that prevent them from graduating on time. We want these students encouraged to remain in school through their adverse situations with additional support provided toward eventually graduating and earning their high school diploma and pursuing post-secondary options,” he said.
“I am imploring the Clayton County community to wrap its arms of love and support around our students at the Perry Career Academy, remembering that these students are dealing with extraordinarily difficult life situations. I am asking our partners and stakeholders to lift them and encourage them to remain in school.”
“The students, who are in their own way remarkable and resilient, and their families will be better off with them earning a high school diploma on time or later than expected or desired,” he said.
State Superintendent Richard Woods said: “Georgia’s graduation rate continues to rise because our public-school students have access to more opportunities than ever before. 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.”
Six years ago, Georgia began to use what is called a “four-year adjusted cohort” calculation to compute graduation rate. The method counts students who earn a diploma within four years of entering high school. It also requires districts to track students who transfer out of their system. The state’s graduation rate fell drastically when the new calculation was first implemented, but has steadily climbed since 2012.
While all states use the same calculation, each state sets its own requirements for students to earn a regular high school diploma. Georgia in recent years beefed up requirements for students to graduate with a regular diploma.
Georgia high school average graduation rate continues to climb. Read that story here.
See how Clayton did compared to DeKalb County here.
