Graduation Rates Increase In Cartersville, Bartow High Schools

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The graduation rates for both the Barotw County and Cartersville City school systems saw impressive gains this year.

The percentage of students graduating from Bartow County’s three high schools increased to 78.6 percent in 2015, up from 70.2 percent in 2014.

In the Cartersville City School System, which only includes Cartersville High School, the rate in 2016 increased to 85.8 percent from 71.6 percent in 2014.

Audra Saunders, Cartersville City Schools director of cirriculum, stated the system was “very pleased“ with the most recent figures, and said the district “will continue working to help all students graduate and pursue their future plans.“

Cartersville City Schools had 306 students in the 2014 four-year cohort, or the graduating class. Of that number, 219 students graduated in the four-year time span.

In 2015, the four-year cohort was 260 students and 223 students actually graduated.

“Ultimately, our teachers are the ones who build relationships with students and help them realize their potential every day in class,” Saunders added. “Increasing the graduation rate is truly a team effort as we sincerely strive to “make it personal” with every student on their road to graduation. We will continue our efforts to increase the graduation rate each year in hopes of reaching every student.”

A total of 1,049 students were part of the Bartow County four-year cohort in 2015. Out of that number, 825 students graduated. In 2014, the graduating class was 1,042, with 732 students graduating from school.

The high school level results for the Bartow County School System are as follows:

Adairsville High School (2014)

• Four-year cohort: 259
• Total graduating: 174
• Graduation rate: 67.2 percent

Adairsville High School (2015)

• Four-year cohort: 248
• Total graduating: 188
• Graduation rate: 80.2 percent

Cass High School (2014)

• Four-year cohort: 375
• Total graduation: 252
• Graduation rate: 67.2 percent

Cass High School (2015)

• Four-year cohort: 380
• Total graduating: 295
• Graduation rate: 77.6 percent

Woodland High School (2014)

• Four-year cohort: 404
• Total graduating: 306
• Graduation rate: 75.7 percent

Woodland High School (2015)

• Four-year cohort: 416
• Total graduation: 331
• Graduation rate: 79.6 percent

The Bartow County School System credits increase to a factors such as an improved approached to education in the absence of the graduation test.

Dr. Kimberly Fraker, the system’s chief academic officer, added the success is also the result of “hard work by the staff and administration in our schools.”

“We are working very diligently to impress upon our students of the importance of completing their high school education,” Fraker said. “Advisement is a big part of our strategy to create a seamless transition for our students from high school to their next step in life. They need that extra support to determine how to successfully enter the workforce or post-secondary education.

Superintendent Dr. John Harper added the increase is a “step in the right direction” for the system.

“While I am very pleased with the increased rate, my goal for the system is still to see 90 percent of our students graduating,” he said. “We will continue to move toward that goal as we learn the new expectations from the state in regards to curriculum and instruction.”

To achieve that goal of 90 percent, Bartow County is working to bolster its advisement process, expand the number of pathways offered at the Bartow College and Career Academy and ”create the expectation that graduation is an initiative to be embraced at all levels of education.”

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