Graduation Rate In Montgomery Down For 3rd Straight Year: Report

SILVER SPRING, MD — The percentage of Montgomery County public school students who graduated on time fell by 1.2 percent in 2018, according to recently released data, marking the third straight year the school district has seen a decline.

In a report released by the Maryland State Department of Education, the county's four-year graduation rate dropped to 88.4 percent for the 2017-18 school year. As a comparison: the graduation rate for the 2016-17 academic year was 89.5 percent; and for 2014-15, it was 89.8 percent.

During the past three years, the report shows that the graduation rate has decreased by 1 percentage point with an increase of 846 graduates.

It is important to note that not all students were included in some of the graduation rate calculations.

According to school officials, "students who receive a Maryland High School Certificate of Program Completion do not meet federal guidelines for a high school diploma, and are not included in the numerator of the graduation rate calculation. However, these students are included as part of the overall cohort and therefore are included in the denominator of the graduation rate calculation, having an adverse impact on school's graduation rates."

to an increase in unaccompanied minors who moved to Montgomery County in 2014. Many of them were high school students.

"These are students who came to the U.S. with limited credits and limited to no English, but the state requires us to enroll them as freshmen in high school," Turner told the outlet. "I don't know about you, but if you put me in a country where I didn't know the language, I wouldn't graduate in four years."

Despite the decline in graduation rates, the county's four-year graduation rate is still higher than the state and national averages, which is 84.6 percent and 87.7 percent, respectively.

In addition, the graduation rate for the Class of 2018 increased for black students, students of two of more races, Limited English Proficient (LEP) students, and students receiving free and reduced-price meals.

Other students — such as Asian students, Hispanic and Latino students, white students, and students receiving special education services — experienced decreases in graduation rates, according to the report.

"It's a challenge for us, but we know we have a responsibility to educate every student who comes to us, regardless of their background," Turner told Bethesda Beat. "We want to make sure we're making progress to ensure students are able to leave MCPS with the foundational skills they need to thrive in the community."

Click here to view the report.