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Dear Families and Community Members,
Each fall, the Georgia Department of Education releases graduation rates for every public high school and school district in the state. You may see these numbers in the news or on our website, so I want to take a moment to explain what they mean and how they are calculated.
What the graduation rate measures
Georgia, like every state, uses a method required by federal law called the "four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate." That sounds complicated, but the idea is simple: Of the students who start high school together as freshmen, how many earn a diploma within four years?
How it works
The group starts in 9th grade. When students enter 9th grade for the first time, they become part of a group called a "cohort." This group is expected to graduate together four years later.
The group is adjusted when students move. If a student moves into our district during high school, they join the group. If a student moves to another district or another state, they are removed from our count. This keeps the rate fair, so schools are measured only on the students they actually serve.
The rate is calculated at the end of four years. We take the number of students in the group who earned a regular diploma (or Georgia's approved alternate diploma) on time and divide it by the total number of students in the group.
A simple example
Imagine 100 students start 9th grade together. Over the next four years, 5 students move away and 5 new students move in, so the group still has 100 students. If 90 of them graduate on time, the graduation rate is 90%.
What about students who need more time?
Some students need an extra semester or year to finish, and that is okay. The state also tracks a five-year graduation rate, and those students still earn the same diploma. Every graduate counts, whether they finish in four years or five.
How we're doing
I'm proud to share that after two years of increases in our high school graduation rate, Crawford County Schools now has a four-year 98.18% graduation rate. That's nearly 10 percentage points above Georgia's statewide rate of 88.5%, which is itself the highest the state has recorded since this method began in 2011. Behind that number are students who worked hard, teachers and staff who refused to let anyone fall through the cracks, and families who kept their children focused on finishing strong.
How you can help
A diploma opens doors to college, careers, the military, and a better future. You can help by encouraging regular school attendance, staying in touch with your student's teachers and counselors, and reaching out early if your student is falling behind. Our staff is here to help every student cross that stage.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and schools.
Sincerely,
Anthony Aikens
Superintendent, Crawford County Schools