Cobb County Graduation Rates Up Three Years Running; Four of Five East Cobb Schools Beat County Average Rate

The Georgia Department of Education released its yearly graduation report for the 2013-14 school year on Thursday, and it showed a third consecutive year of growth in Cobb County’s graduation rate.

Data shows that the county’s graduation rate reached 78.2 percent in 2013-14, 1.7 percentage points above the 2012-13 graduation rate and above the state graduation rate of 72.5 percent in 2013-14. The graduation rate also topped the school district’s strategic plan target for the year as well as the Department of Education’s target on the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).

East Cobbers pride themselves on the high performance of their high schools, and they can hang their hats on yet another productive academic cycle for the latest graduating class. Four of the five East Cobb high schools registered graduation rates above the Cobb County average in 2013-14, with two of the five schools topping out above 90 percent.

The two highest performing high schools were Walton and Lassiter; Trojan seniors earned a graduation rate of 91.5 percent, a 0.1 percentage point increase over the Class of 2013, while the Raiders’ Class of 2014 blew the doors off the county average with an impressive 92,7 percent graduation rate.

Sprayberry’s 80.9 percent graduation rate was a 1.5 percentage point dropoff from the previous year, while the Pope Greyhounds lost 3.9 percentage points off their 2013 rate, registering an 88 percent graduation rate for 2013-14. Wheeler High School failed to top the county average at 70.5 percent, a 0,7 percentage point decrease in the Wildcats’ year-to-year performance.

“I am thrilled to see continued improvement in our graduation rate,” said Interim Superintendent Chris Ragsdale in a statement. “Our teachers are working continuously using innovative teaching methods to encourage students to stay in school and increase their achievement level. Of the many indicators that measure how well we are doing as a school district, graduation rate is one of the most important. Ensuring that students graduate on time and are prepared for success is our ultimate goal. It is great to see that we are performing at a high level in that regard.”