On-time graduation rate data for 2016 is in and it shows that in Coweta County, 84.7 percent graduated at a rate more than 5 percent higher than the state average. Northgate led the way in Coweta with an 88.4 percent graduation rate.
The four-year graduation rate for Coweta County School System high school students was 84.7 percent in 2016, down slightly from Coweta’s 86.3 percent in 2015, said Coweta County School System spokesman Dean Jackson.
“The Coweta County School System’s on-time graduation rate was approximately five and a half percent higher than the state of Georgia’s average, which rose to 79.2 percent in 2016 according to a report released by the Georgia Department of Education on Tuesday. The state’s graduation rate was 78.8 percent in 2015,” Jackson said.
Jackson said Georgia calculates high school graduation rates through a formula known as the four-year adjusted cohort rate, now required by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The rate follows the students who enter high school together as freshmen (the ‘cohort’) who then go on to earn a diploma within four years. The calculation of the rate adjusts for student transfers.
Students who don’t graduate in that cohort may still go on to meet graduation requirements with additional semesters of coursework, Jackson noted.
“All three Coweta County high schools had a four-year graduation rate higher than the state average, with East Coweta High School at 83.1 percent, Newnan High School at 84.6 percent, and Northgate High School at 88.4 percent in 2016,” said Jackson.
DOE reported that Georgia’s public high school graduation rate has increased for the fourth consecutive year, rising nearly 12 percentage points since 2011.
“The Coweta County School System’s graduation rate has been rising overall for several years as well, and Coweta’s high school principals attribute rising graduation rates to a number of factors, including use of data and careful tracking student performance, working closely with students to advise them and identify their individual needs and offering multiple opportunities for student support, remediation and advanced opportunities,” said Jackson.
Superintendent Steve Barker said the school system continues to focus on improving the graduation rate for all students.
“Our school system requires more of our students than many systems in the state,” Barker said. “For a Coweta County student to graduate on time they must earn a total of 28 credits, compared to 23 in many school systems. We will continue to maintain those high standards while focusing at all levels on preparing students to meet rigorous coursework, and providing support for students to meet graduation requirements.”
