The DeKalb County School District saw its graduation rate increase nearly four percentage points, as 74 percent of students graduated during the 2016-2017 school year.
“We are pleased to see the growth in our graduation rate, as it reflects the efforts we’ve made to encourage good attendance, study habits and instruction,” Superintendent Steve Green said in a release. “Combined with the positive SAT and ACT results in recent weeks, this shows DCSD is not only graduating more students, but that we’re also preparing them for college, a career and beyond.”
The district has seen steady increases in its graduation rate since 2013, with the exception of 2016, when the graduation rate declined .6 percentage points.
Several schools saw double-digit gains over last year’s graduation rate, including Clarkston High School, which rose 12.9 points from 59.4 to 72.3.
Cross Keys High School, which had the district’s largest graduation-rate increase last year, fell 5.1 percentage points to 68.7.
The DeKalb Early Career Academy graduation all of its 52 seniors for a 100-percent graduation rate, followed closely by Arabia Mountain High School with 99 percent, having graduated 301 of its 304 seniors.
Board of Education member Stan Jester suggested the marked improvement at specific schools may speak to tactics Green instituted at certain schools.
“We’re flooding some schools with all kinds of teachers and paraprofessionals to help them make the grade,” he said. “It seems to be working.”
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