DeKalb Graduation Rates Increase

Georgia’s 2015 high school graduation rate has risen from ​72.5 percent in 2014 to 78.8 percent in 2015,. according to new figures by the Georgia Department of Education.

DeKalb schools saw its rates increase as well, according to an analysis by the AJC. DeKalb’s graduation rate rose 8.3 percentage points from 2014 to 2015, adding to the 2.4 percentage point increase from 2013 to 2014.

This represents the fourth straight increase in the state’s graduation rate.

This is the fifth 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.

This is the first class not required to take the Georgia High School Graduation Test in order to receive a regular diploma, as Georgia moves away from a one-size-fits-all approach to graduation.

There is evidence that focusing less on testing, and more on career education and personalized paths to graduation, opens up opportunities for students. The graduation rate for students who complete a Career Pathway is much higher – at 89 percent – than the rate for students who do not.

Moving forward, the GaDOE will continue to focus on personalized learning rather than a standardized approach – including Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) and core credit flexibility, including the new flexibility thatallows students to receive a math, science, or foreign language credit for a computer programming course.

The agency is also working to improve the graduation rate for students with disabilities through a statewide systemic improvement plan which establishes a network of regional support to support local districts in implementing interventions provided by the National Dropout Prevention Center.