Fulton 2017 Graduation Rates Show Mixed Results

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Graduation rates released today for the Class of 2017 show the Fulton County School System is making progress in getting more students to graduate on time. The system's 2017 rate clocked in at 86.8 percent, the highest graduation rate of the large school systems in metro Atlanta, Fulton Schools said Wednesday.

This year's figure is also a .2-increase over the 2016 rate of 86.6 percent. Superintendent Jeff Rose, Ed.D., said the system continues to be proud of the schools' progress in improving their graduation rates and "everything they do to help students cross the finish line of their high school education."

“Our goal, as a school system, is that every student will complete high school and earn a diploma so they can be prepared for post-secondary success, whether that be as a college student, a skilled member of the workforce, or a member of the armed forces,” he added.

Schools show increases

The Class of 2017 data shows that 13 out of 19 Fulton high schools had increases from the previous year, and three of those schools increased their rates by more than 5 percent.

Schools meet strategic plan targets

In 2012, Fulton County Schools launched a five-year strategic plan that challenged schools to increase graduation rates. Twelve high schools reached the strategic plan goal that, by 2017, 90 percent of students would earn a high school diploma. Even though not all schools reached the 90 percent goal, there has been a dramatic improvement in their graduation rates, especially compared to where they started several years ago.

Here's a breakdown of graduation rates at high schools across Fulton County:

Schools see long-term improvements

Most notable are the significant increases made over a five-year period. From 2013 to 2017, Fulton’s graduation rate increased 11.3 percent. All schools but one showed an increase, and nine of the district’s 19 high schools reported double-digit increases.

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.

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