Georgia saw a full percentage point increase in high school graduation rates for the 2017-2018 year.
While high school graduation rates are only one part of college & career readiness, the results on this one indicator are encouraging. For the metro area, many school districts saw improvement and some saw dramatic improvement.
Atlanta Public Schools – a 2% increase to 79.9%
DeKalb County – 75.0% (increase)
Fulton County – 86.8%
Clayton County – 71.7% (increase)
Cobb County – 85.2 (increase)
Decatur City – 95.4%
Marietta City – 76.2%
Source here.
Georgia calculates a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate as required by federal law. This rate is the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. From the beginning of ninth grade, students who are entering that grade for the first time form a cohort that is subsequently “adjusted” by adding any students who transfer into the cohort during the next three years, and subtracting any students who transfer out.
While all states use the same calculation, each state sets its own requirements for students to earn a regular high school diploma. Georgia has some of the highest requirements in the nation for students to graduate with a regular diploma.
