GCPS continues to deliver on its commitment to ensuring students who need extra time and opportunity receive the support they need to successfully graduate. For 2021, GCPS experienced a slight decrease in its four-year graduation rate, moving from 83.23% to 82.48%. However, continued improvement marked the district’s five-year graduation rate—86.28%—as additional members of the Class of 2020 successfully met all graduation requirements. (The five-year rate includes students who graduated after summer school or spent additional time in school beyond their cohort’s May graduation date.)
Dr. Al Taylor, the district’s associate superintendent for School Improvement and Operations, commends the work of Gwinnett’s high schools and the educators who work within them, saying, “These results are indicative of the level of commitment of our staff and of the perseverance of our students to achieve at high levels despite the challenges we face. We are very proud of our students, teachers, and staff for their efforts navigating these uncertain times while upholding the standard of excellence that defines our system of world-class schools.”
In looking at this year’s four-year graduation rate in Gwinnett, eight high schools experienced increases—Berkmar, Central Gwinnett, Gwinnett Online Campus, Meadowcreek, Mill Creek, Paul Duke STEM, Phoenix, and South Gwinnett. Gwinnett schools with the highest graduation rates in 2021 were Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST); North Gwinnett HS; McClure Health Science HS, Lanier HS, and Mill Creek HS; followed closely by Brookwood, Grayson, Dacula, Archer, and Peachtree Ridge high schools. In all, 13 Gwinnett schools posted four-year graduation rates that surpassed the state average.
“While our five-year graduation rate has increased during the pandemic, our district remains focused on improving its four-year rate,” says Dr. Calvin J. Watts, GCPS superintendent. “Our goal is to prepare each and every student for life after high school, equipping them with a diploma that will allow them to pursue their dreams. As a district, we must focus on creating the conditions and providing the supports that yield higher graduation rates and doing so in a manner that allows more students to graduate at the end of their four years of high school, so they are ready for college, career, and life.”
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 9th 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, with Gwinnett County requirements surpassing those of the state.