2022 high school graduation rates for the Columbus area set records. Compare them here
The Muscogee County School District has achieved its highest graduation rate since the state started using its current calculation 10 years ago, according to data released Thursday by the Georgia Department of Education.
MCSD’s 2022 high school graduation rate of 92% is 0.8 percentage points higher than 2021.
Muscogee surpassed the state average of 84.1%) for the 10th straight year and the national average of 86% (latest available figure is from 2019) for the eighth straight year.
“This is truly a testament to our students’ perseverance as well as the commitment of families, and school and district staff who continued to monitor and support them throughout the pandemic,” MCSD superintendent David Lewis said in a news release.
When the MCSD board hired Lewis in 2013, the district’s graduation rate was 72.8%.
“The continued longitudinal improvement over the years can be attributed to systemic processes of tracking relevant data as early as middle school, intentional identification, and interventions for students who may not be on track to graduate on time, and connecting them with supportive adults who provide encouragement, resources, and support along the way toward becoming full-option graduates,” he said.
The current formula for the graduation rate, required by the U.S. Department of Education, is called the four-year adjusted cohort rate. That measures the percentage of students who graduate from high school within four years.
Out of MCSD’s nine high school, three increased their graduate rate, four remained the same, and two decreased. All of them surpassed the state average and the national average.
Here are the graduation rates for each MCSD high school compared to last year:
- Columbus 100%, remained the same.
- Rainey-McCullers 100%, remained the same.
- Northside 96.3%, remained the same.
- Shaw 91.8%, remained the same.
- Kendrick 91.6, up by 7.2.
- Jordan 89.7%, up by 3.3.
- Spencer 89%, up by 3.8.
- Hardaway 87.6%, down by 2.2.
- Carver 86.5%, down by 5.8.
The graduation rates for Jordan, Kendrick and Spencer are the highest in the 10 years the current formula has been used.
MCSD’s graduate rate of 92% also surpasses the other school districts serving second-tier cities in Georgia with similar size and demographics: Chatham County (Savannah) 87.6%, Bibb County (Macon) 81% and Richmond County (Augusta) 71.7%.
Broken down by student subgroups, MCSD’s 2022 graduation rates were:
- 98.6% for Asian/Pacific Islander students
- 92.7% for multiracial students
- 92.5% for white students
- 91.8% for Hispanic students
- 91.3% for Black students
- 89.3% for economically disadvantaged
- 80% for English language learners
- 78.8 percent for students with disability.
The Ledger-Enquirer asked Lewis what disappoints him the most about MCSD’s 2022 graduation report and what the district is doing to address that concern. This story will be updated with that answer when it is received.
Harris County
Compared to last year, the Harris County School District’s graduation rate decreased by 1.4 percentage points to 90.7%. The drop comes after HCSD’s 2021 rate increased by 2.9 percentage points.
“As with most school districts across the nation, there have been challenges over the last several years that impede student learning,” HCSD director of secondary curriculum Donna Patterson told the L-E in an email. “However, our teachers and students still remain diligent in their academic commitment to achieve. While there was a slight decrease to 90.7, we are still satisfied with the hard work that it represents.”
Broken down by student subgroup, HCSD’s 2022 graduation rate was 93.3% for Hispanics, 91.7% for Blacks, 90.6% for whites, 84.2% for multiracial students, 83.9% for students with disability and 81.3% for economically disadvantaged.
“We are not where we need to be,” Patterson said. “Until we have 100% of our students graduate with their cohort, there will still be improvements that need to be made, and work that needs to be done.”
Patterson described some of that effort.
“Our extensive tutoring services and summer learning opportunities help students stay on track for graduation,” she said. “In addition, we consider the overall well-being of our students to be of primary importance to their success in school, and our Student Support Services Department plays a key role in ensuring that their needs are met so that they can get the education they need.”
Patterson added, “Part of the process of ensuring accurate graduation numbers requires that we account for not only the currently enrolled students, but also that we track the progress of any student who enrolled and withdrew. Locating and following up to ensure that the latter graduated, or account for why they did not graduate, is a challenging process.”
Chattahoochee County
The graduation rate in the Chattahoochee County School District reached a record high in the 10 years using the current formula.
ChattCo’s graduation rate of 96.8% increased by 3.2 percentage points compared to last year.
“As a district, we are extremely proud of the work of our students, teachers, and community,” ChattCo superintendent Kristie Brooks told the L-E in an email. “It takes a commitment from everyone to reach such high achievement levels.”
A key to ChattCo’s success, Brooks said, is providing a variety of paths for students to meet their goals, such as Advance Placement courses, dual enrollment for college credit while still in high school, training for skilled careers and military service, and work-based internships and apprenticeships.
“We realize that there is not a one-size approach to learning or success, and preparing every student to become a productive contributor to society remains our priority,” she said. “With nearly 70% of our graduates attending a postsecondary college or university, more than 15% of graduates enrolling in the military, and nearly 10% selecting a skilled trade, we know that the future is bright as Chattahoochee County graduates are prepared for the future and have already laid a firm foundation in obtaining specific goals after high school.”
All students subgroups in ChattCo (Black, Hispanic, white and economically disadvantaged) had a graduation rate of more than 96% in 2022.
“This is attributed to the positive OneHeartBeat climate that supports all learners as well as the high expectations for every student,” Brooks said. “There is much to overcome in today’s society as our students have experienced many challenges, losses, and barriers. Caring teachers and supportive parents who work together as a team are the difference makers, and we could not be any prouder of our entire community.”
This story was originally published October 8, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
