Feds release new high school grad data using common yardstick; Georgia’s rate is 67 percent, putting us among bottom three.
Remember when Georgia used to say “Thank God for Mississippi and Alabama”?
With the release of new national high school graduation rates today, Georgia is now extending its thanks to Nevada and New Mexico, the only two states with lower graduation rates than Georgia.
Georgia has a 67 percent overall high school graduation rate, according to data released today by the U.S. Department of Education under a new nationwide measurement formula.
For the first time ever, the cohort method will allow apples to apples comparisons since every state is using it to calculate how many of their seniors graduate in four years.
And those apples aren’t pretty for Georgia, which is among the bottom three.
Among states, only New Mexico, 63 percent, and Nevada, 62 percent, posted lower rates. (Also below Georgia were Washington, D.C., 59 percent, and the Bureau of Indian Education, 61 percent.)
Prior to the cohort method being adopted, states used a hodgepodge of methods — and a bit of voodoo math – to calculate their grad rates, often favoring formulas that provided too glowing a picture of how many kids actually received diplomas in four years. Georgia was among them, touting a grad rate of 80 percent.
Georgia does not fare well compared to its Southern neighbors. For example, Alabama has a 72 percent grad rate, while Mississippi has a 75 percent rate and Louisiana has a 71 percent rate.
South Carolina has a 74 percent rate, and North Carolina has a 78 percent grad rate. Tennessee has an 86 percent rate, which puts it among the top performers in the country. Virginia has an 82 percent rate.
Here is a link to the list of states.
What hurts Georgia’s ranking is its acute failure to graduate students with disabilities and students with limited English. Only three out of 10 students in those two categories graduates, putting us well behind most of the nation.
If I were DOE, I would be looking for explanations for why Georgia does so poorly with these kids. Yes, they are among the most challenging students to educate, but other states are doing far better with them, so there must be strategies we ought to consider.
Here are the Georgia grad rates broken down by demographics:
Asians: 79 percent
Black students: 60 percent
Hispanic: 58 percent
Whites: 76 percent
Students with disabilities: 30 percent
Limited English: 32 percent
Economically disadvantaged: 59 percent
According to US DOE:
The U.S. Department of Education released data today detailing state four-year high school graduation rates in 2010-11 – the first year for which all states used a common, rigorous measure. The varying methods formerly used by states to report graduation rates made comparisons between states unreliable, while the new, common metric can be used by states, districts and schools to promote greater accountability and to develop strategies that will reduce dropout rates and increase graduation rates in schools nationwide.
The new, uniform rate calculation is not comparable in absolute terms to previously reported rates. Therefore, while 26 states reported lower graduation rates and 24 states reported unchanged or increased rates under the new metric, these changes should not be viewed as measures of progress but rather as a more accurate snapshot.
“By using this new measure, states will be more honest in holding schools accountable and ensuring that students succeed,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Ultimately, these data will help states target support to ensure more students graduate on time, college and career ready.”
The transition to a common, adjusted four-year cohort graduation rate reflects states’ efforts to create greater uniformity and transparency in reporting high school graduation data, and it meets the requirements of October 2008 federal regulations. A key goal of these regulations was to develop a graduation rate that provides parents, educators and community members with better information on their school’s progress while allowing for meaningful comparisons of graduation rates across states and school districts. The new graduation rate measurement also accurately accounts for students who drop out or who do not earn a regular high school diploma.
In 2011, states began individually reporting 2010-11 high school graduation rates, but this is the first time the Department has compiled these rates in one public document. These 2010-11 graduation rates are preliminary, state-reported data, and the Department plans to release final rates in the coming months. Beginning with data for the 2011-12 school year, graduation rates calculated using this new method will become a key element of state accountability systems, including for states that have been approved for ESEA flexibility.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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380 comments Add your comment
mountain man
November 26th, 2012
5:38 pm
Why do we care how many students we graduate? The ones who WANT and education will get it. The ones whose parents CARE will get an education. The illegal immigrants who don’t want to learn English will drop out. The gang thugs who don’t want to appear “too white” will drop out. The SPED student who doesn’t have the mental capacity to learn will drop out. We need to concentrate on those who can and will learn and let the others enter into the “school of hard knocks”. You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him learn.
Jaggar
November 26th, 2012
5:38 pm
Is anyone surprised? I am a teacher in Cobb County School District and find it horribly sad that the politicians have ruined our country. It is politicians who tell us what to teach and create the curriculum. They hire people, who have never taught, to design what teachers should be teaching. That is a joke and NCLB should have been your first clue. Unions have also contributed to the demise of education, of which we do not have in Georgia, thank God! I have no idea why children can drop out of school at 16 years old. Hispanics refuse to learn how to speak English, politicians refuse to make English the USA official language, and then we wonder why the Hispanic students drop out. The democrats are the main contributors to the poverty stricken, blacks, and Hispanics by giving them entitlements left and right. Why would they have to go to school when they can live off of the taxpayers. Maybe if we raised our standards, stop affirmative action, make people work for their grades, work to get into college instead of accepting people based on race, and stop all the hand outs, the kids would actually value education. Why work for it when you know as soon as someone see your race, you are good as gold. Stop asking race on applications for jobs as well. You can not expect children to learn when their parents refuse to learn. Children learn from their parents. Again, the politicians are killing our schools and kids!
lahopital
November 26th, 2012
5:40 pm
I wouldn’t sweat how we compare to other states, as it may be easier to graduate high school in Mississippi than in Georgia. We should just try to keep our standards high (or, at least, not drop them) and improve our own rates. This isn’t football.
Timmy
November 26th, 2012
5:40 pm
Great. Just freakin’ great…
bug
November 26th, 2012
5:40 pm
Did not read this but I am old enough to remember when we were in the 90 percent and working toward a 100 percent.
DMCS
November 26th, 2012
5:41 pm
It doesn’t surprise most southern and Republican ran states suck in those areas most of the time. Education and Poverty.
psr
November 26th, 2012
5:42 pm
But as long as UGA beats Bama in football, that’s all that matters. Right?
Do the Math
November 26th, 2012
5:45 pm
@delois: when was the last time you saw a nun?
@Pete: absolutely correct.
Rural Juror
November 26th, 2012
5:45 pm
I teach high school math and I can tell one thing that doesn’t help – they’re putting kids who didn’t pass math I in my math II class. I’ve got some 18 and 19 year olds in my sophomore class. They’re not in school to learn and are only there to bring down those around them.
xc
November 26th, 2012
5:46 pm
Si Senior I can no pass the graduation test.
living in an outdated ed system
November 26th, 2012
5:48 pm
@Maureen, it’s very clear to me why TN graduation rates are far higher than GA. It’s because TN decided to embrace progressive education reform efforts, unlike our state. They figured out that it’s how you spend the $, not the absolute size of the dollars, that is the critical element. They have embraced digital learning, revamped their teacher evaluation system, amongst other things. I’m not saying they’re perfect, but they are MUCH further along than GA in many respects.
GA can do it too, but they need to collaborate and stop whining that the funding is inadequate.
Wondering?
November 26th, 2012
5:48 pm
And, how much did the state legislature and Governor Deal cut the budget for education last year or the year before or the year before? But, let’s give another tax break and cut education funding again! I bet you can get 40 in a classroom if you try real hard…
Do the Math
November 26th, 2012
5:52 pm
@Maureen: “but could parents in Tennessee be that much better than the parents here?”
yes, you answered your own question. “Just checked and Tennessee has a 26 percent child poverty rate. Georgia has a 25 percent rate.”
Face it, Georgian parrents are lazy and don’t value education as much as those in Tennessee.
Jaye Fields
November 26th, 2012
5:52 pm
This is NOT good…but NOT surprising….High schools are plagued by behavior problems, fights, uncaring parents, and kids who rule their homes…parents give up trying to keep youth in school and if kids come to school, learning is the last thing on their minds…GEORGIA HAS A SAD FUTURE OF ADULTS…Most will not be able to read and many will not be able to count…THE “NOT CARING ABOUT LEARNING” IS RAMPANT IN THIS STATE…
Kids do not have books to take home, do not know their time tables, can not spell and certainly can not speak intelligently…SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN GEORGIA MUST COME UP WITH PLANS FOR THE DROP OUTS AND IMPLEMENT WAYS TO KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL AND LEARNING…
It is a problem….
Courtney
November 26th, 2012
5:54 pm
I have worked in DeKalb and Gwinnett. Both now do Social Promotion and promote kids based upon nothing but age. The graduation rate is going to keep on falling until you make these kids earn promotion.
kbb
November 26th, 2012
5:55 pm
If people in Georgia would care about half as much about education as they do about that football team in Athens we would be in the top 5 and not the bottom 5. Its= is ironic that people spend so much time, energy, and money rooting for a school in which they have no hope or interest in ever attending. Our priorities are backwards in this state
DrTuskegeeGrad
November 26th, 2012
5:56 pm
@AtlantaMoM I am a Alabama educated (K-college) individual who is proud to say that just because the state may not be known for all good reasons, but we are happy to say that most of our mothers can subtract. When placing comments on a public page do as most Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia and Tennessee teachers have taught their students “CHECK YOUR WORK!” Being able to subtract as well as being able to notice when there is problem is a necessity for all citizens to learn, which is the major problem that I notice when I come to my practice here in Atlanta. I feel that Atlanta should realize that no one outside of this city or for the most of us care about the glitz and glamour that most of the Atlantans try to portray, but instead educating our children to take on the duties of leading our country for better so that they may take care of us later down the road!
Lexi
November 26th, 2012
5:59 pm
Maureen:
Even in these times it is not likely that children with “disabilities” make up enough of the overall student population to affect the overall graduation rates between and among states. I still bet that one major factor in Georgia’s relative rankings is its very large population of students with a poor command of English, and, if those statistics were tossed, the rankings would shift markedly.
You and I agree that UGA is a top notch school. My comment was directed to the suggestion that Georgia is “worst” in “just about everything” posited by Mr. /Miss economics major.
Zane Smith's Teeth
November 26th, 2012
6:06 pm
Look at who we have elected to run our state and our schools. The rest of the nation laughs at us. We had an entire school system get their accredidation removed! That hadn’t happened in 40 years in this country!
Look at the charter movement and who’s pushing for that. The same people that have been in power over the last 20+ years. Do you think that is a coincidence? They have been trying to dismantle public education in this state for years. I am not shocked at these results. Mississippi and Alabama are both as backwards if not more than GA. Difference is, they actually have elected officials that care about education (or at the very least are not TRYING to destroy it).
Paul
November 26th, 2012
6:06 pm
Geee look what two races are bringing us down? Shocker. Just like the rest of the country.
real john
November 26th, 2012
6:07 pm
As someone who was born and raised (and educated) in Tennessee, I think the main difference is the demographics. Tennessee has a very small latino and African-American population compared to most of its southern neighbors.
The stats are pretty clear, African-Americans and latinos have much lower graduation rates. Georgia is right at the top in the nation of Afican American and latinos has an overall proportion of the population.
Those aren’t racist statements, but facts. I”m not so sure that parents are that much “better” in Tennessee.
Maureen Downey
November 26th, 2012
6:07 pm
@Lexi, Of its total enrollment of about 1.7 million students, Georgia has 177,000 students with disabilities, according to this study looking at 2009-2010 data.
P
November 26th, 2012
6:08 pm
DEPLORABLE…pretty much sums it up
DrTuskegeeGrad
November 26th, 2012
6:09 pm
I am a huge opponent when it comes to classroom inclusion. I think this process does not work for most of the special needs individuals as the curriculum has to be watered down, so that this small group of students are able to a small piece of success. Is this really success? I have been to committee meetings where researchers and educational leaders have argued that all students are equal and deserve an equal education, but my question is at what cost. Yes, every person does have the same rights, but is it equally right that some students are receiving modications for classwork and receive A’s, when my child is taking more rigorous courses, studies hard, and has to answer a large amount of questions earning her A. I don’t see how this is beneficial to our society because when most of these students are asked perform on tests using the skills that have been modified for the entire school year they are not able to perform because guess what? The tests are not modified, no paraprofessionals to assist, and most of all they are ask to answer all questions on the test. So when we get results like this where the special needs or disabled students are not performing, why would we expect anything more! I want all parents to be outraged either you have a regular ed or special needs child because this is an injustice to both types of learners because everyone as we can see is failing. The current educational law that schools must abide by has had a huge impact on a large population of individuals entering our workforce who cannot perform or even think! Ending my rant for those who say that inclusion and modifications is the way it should stay ask yourself this question. If we are preparing each student for future jobs, will their work in the workplace be modified? Honestly how many of these students who receive large amounts of modifications will be Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, or even Georgia Tech graduates? We have got to do something because our children are hurting!
F.A. Wright
November 26th, 2012
6:13 pm
When you have Georgia-educated legislators and Georgia-educated members of the Board of Regents making decisions about Georgia education, it’s surprising that we don’t rank lower than we do.
Leigh
November 26th, 2012
6:16 pm
Jagger-spot on!
Ray
November 26th, 2012
6:16 pm
I went through public school in Athens, GA and they way I see it now after leaving they bore us to death in the schools. It’s not a joke some classes were fun, but others it was like these are teachers right? Is the question you’d ask more and more.
Most teacher’s don’t realize hands-on stuff is where most of the fun is it’s the same problem we got in colleges.
You sit there stare at power points and that’s all you remember. Some people can learn that way me and a vast majority of others can’t.
Everytime I had fun in my high school we were doing experiments or even went outside at one point in a Biology class.
I know you can’t make Math a hands-on subject(pretty tough), but I bet for other classes if you can increase how much hands on stuff happens in the classroom bet more kids would be pleased.
I’m going to say this need to create Football school separate from the universities or even high school that teaches kids at least the basics like reading, writing, math, sciences, history and what not. Because trying to balance the regular schooling it takes too much from them that’s why they won’t study later.
chuck
November 26th, 2012
6:20 pm
I am a firm believer that education begins in the home. When our two sons were in elementary and middle school we made sure they did their homework. When they attended Milton High they really did not have a problem, and they did their homework without us asking. They understood that their future was in their hands. They also played sports through high school, and dabbled with guitar and piano. They are now out of college, and are working full time at the age of 23 and 21. We are very proud. The extracurricular programs kept them busy. I never thought I would do calculus again.
Our daughter attends private school, and she is doing very well. She still has six years to go, and she may go back to public school for high school.
The point is this – education begins in the home. Children that are not pushed to study by their parents will probably not do very well, eventhough they are capable. The teacher can only do so much. The teacher cannot go home with the child. The teacher cannot quell the chaos inside of some of the homes that is not conducive to learning. The teacher cannot make the parents make their child do their homework or study.
Ray
November 26th, 2012
6:21 pm
@ Real John
I understand and I can tell that post was not racist, but as far as parenting goes really as I grew up I began to realize around about high school.
The way some kids turned out wasn’t the parents fault it was society or should I say the environment of the school itself.
It’s like when you blame a teacher because the kid fails the class when it wasn’t their fault.
Pete
November 26th, 2012
6:21 pm
Interesting stuff. Earlier in these comments “gdfo” noted that “I live in Georgia but was not educated here. The culture is different here. Many people that I have worked with here considered it rude and/or effeminate to show or demostrate knowledge above simple level . . .”
After I graduated from high school in Georgia (medium-sized, non-metro town), my family moved to North Carolina (also a medium-sized, non-metro town). My two younger brothers enrolled in high school there. We immediately saw a striking difference in the cultures. In my Georgia high school, there were only two males in the chorus. Needless to say, chorus was not a macho endeavor. When we moved to North Carolina, however, many of the football players were in the chorus. Maybe there is something in the water.
ATLParent
November 26th, 2012
6:22 pm
I would love to see the private vs. charter vs. public statistics. My kids went to demanding private schools all the way through HS and were so much more prepared for college than most of their public school peers who graduated with inflated GPAs. Plus, their high school regularly graduates 100% of their kids and everyone goes to college. However, I do believe that kids who go to less than ideal public schools can still learn and graduate IF they have supportive parents who care about their education and hold them accountable for achieving and learning. I know there are many, many parents who have kids in public school that care deeply about their child’s education, but the public schools are burdened with a ton of kids from families who are not fit to be taking care of themselves let alone children and are expected to work miracles with these kids! It is not up to our educational system to be parents AND teachers. Getting rid of entitlements too would make graduation more important to both parents and kids. How about making welfare / entitlements contingent upon HS graduation? EVERYONE in this country can get a FREE Public HS education so if you choose to not take advantage of the education then you need to deal with the life you’ve made for yourself on your own. However, I still believe that we need to keep as many kids in school as possible or else the govt/democrats/Obama will have us the rest of us who work for a living supporting more and more deadbeat, uneducated people who contribute nothing to society.
John B
November 26th, 2012
6:25 pm
Don’t blame the teachers, it is the parents who are not doing their part helping the students succeed and funding the schools at a level necessary. In Clayton County, the voters elect a disfunctional school board and an new sheriff who may soon be a convicted felon; what can you expect!!!
Ron F
November 26th, 2012
6:30 pm
I’d love to see a comparison of percentage of total students classified by each subgroup by state. The focus here needs to be on our minorities and non-native students. Surely these numbers will wake up the decision-makers and get them to realize the real battle isn’t over constitutional amendments and privatization of education. Whatever form schools take in the future, here’s the reality of what we have to deal with, and it isn’t pretty.
Ray
November 26th, 2012
6:30 pm
@ Pete
That’s another problem that only applies to certain areas. Culture of most southern states is different from northern states anyways.
Where as you might need Math above Calculus to succeed in California and New York down here I honestly don’t believe you’ll need more than Algebra at best.
Easy E
November 26th, 2012
6:31 pm
@ Maureen,
In your opinion, what are the 3 chief reasons for such low grad rates and what can be done to improve them?
Get Real
November 26th, 2012
6:32 pm
It sounds like the Obama demographic
Really?
November 26th, 2012
6:32 pm
I didn’t grow up here, I wasn’t educated here, and I am thankful for it. It seems to me that people here can barely speak. I am the mother of a two and a half year old, and thankfully just found employment (after 2 years of looking) with a major company with transfer ability. I am getting the hell out of dodge before my child hits first grade. If he ever “axes” me a question or tells me he’s “skeered” of something I’m going to have a fit.
Get Real
November 26th, 2012
6:33 pm
Obama Voters
teacher&mom
November 26th, 2012
6:34 pm
No excuses….we must do better.
Peach Buzz
November 26th, 2012
6:34 pm
Hopefully these statistics will improve now that the voters chose “yes” on the charter school board amendment.
jsmith
November 26th, 2012
6:36 pm
this is exactly what the democrats want…. a nation full of dumb voters who want the government to take care of them….
yuzeyurbrane
November 26th, 2012
6:39 pm
The simple truth is that the oligarchs that rule this state don’t give a hoot about education or healthcare for the underclass.
Anthony
November 26th, 2012
6:44 pm
The discussion is losing sight of the bigger picture, a huge percentage of our population is not obtaining the basic skills to receive a high school diploma. Our private business economy is not structured to absorb the unskilled labor force any more, so they end up dependent on the government. The US is on a downward spiral with 3 to 4 out of 10 that have neither the basic skills nor, more importantly, the ability to learn.
NAHS Parent
November 26th, 2012
6:47 pm
This doesn’t surprise me one bit. My 10th grader’s chemistry teacher went on maternity leave over a month ago, and according to my child, she has learned NOTHING in this class since then. No class instruction has occurred…seems the substitute teachers are more like babysitters while the “real” teacher is on leave. My child has not had a single grade recorded in this class (confirmed on the parent website) since mid October. Calls to both the new school principal as well as the interim “mentor” principal have gone unreturned…the next step is to show up at the school and demand a meeting. So, I think we’re lucky we’re third from the bottom and not dead last in this state. Georgia public education leaves much to be desired.
ATLParent
November 26th, 2012
6:51 pm
@Anthony comments are in the right direction…The economy of 2012 needs well educated workers. However I believe that even the kid who graduates with a low-end HS diploma isn’t really prepared to do what most jobs of today require. Our schools have poured all their energy into making everything college prep, but this doesn’t acknowledge the fact that everyone isn’t cut out for college! Many of these kids would stay in school if they felt they were learning something that would prepare them for real work the minute they graduation. I disagree that these kids don’t have the ability to learn…they just don’t have the support and/or interest!
Atlanta truth
November 26th, 2012
6:54 pm
Absolute and complete blame rests with the GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA. It is the governor’s responsibility and accountability for this travesty. Clearly, there is absolutely NO care or interest by the current governor to address this issue. WHERE is his plan ? I am confused. He has done NOTHING on education. Georgia’s education situation is a mockery. Georgia’s governor is more concerned with expanding lanes on GA 400 so that his electoral base in North Fulton county can drive their luxury vehicles back and forth. Governor — we are not amused. Move on.
William
November 26th, 2012
6:59 pm
LMAO
As the graduation rate goes down… the Obamanation’s approval rate goes higher.
Coincidence? Betting not..
Oh well, more people to fetch me a coffee
Negotiator
November 26th, 2012
7:00 pm
Hmmmmm. Apples to apples you say. State graduation rates calculate the number of students who graduate in a 4 year period from the time they enter 9th grade. States such as GA with a high immigrant population or LEP (limited english proficient) students in public schools are at a disadvantage when comparing to neighboring states. LEP students are impacted by a lack of ability to perform well on EOCT (end of course tests) and GHSGT (Ga high school graduation tests). States should publish the actual number of students in these categories as well as the percentage of test takers when making comparisons.
Below is an explanation from John Barge regarding the cohort method.
The primary difference in calculating the new graduation rate from the state’s current method is in the definition of the cohort.
The new “four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate” defines the cohort based on when a student first becomes a freshman. The rate is calculated using the number of students who graduate within four years and includes adjustments for student transfers.
In contrast, Georgia’s current graduation rate calculation defines the cohort upon graduation, which may include students who take more than four years to graduate from high school. Over the past five years, the state’s traditional graduation rate has gradually increased, rising from 70.8 percent in 2006 to 80.9 percent in 2011.
The new rate, which also includes subgroups, will be used for federal accountability purposes this school year. However, Georgia has received approval from the U.S. Department of Education to use a five-year cohort graduation rate for 2012.
“We know that not all students are the same and not all will graduate from high school in four years, so we asked for the U.S. Department of Education’s permission to use a five-year cohort graduation rate for federal accountability purposes,” said Superintendent Barge. “Ultimately, our goal is to ensure each child will graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and a career, regardless of how long it takes.”
What-the-HamFat?
November 26th, 2012
7:01 pm
It appears the only ones graduating in DC are Sasha and Malia. Horrible numbers..just horrible.
melK
November 26th, 2012
7:03 pm
below even Alabama and Mississippi? embarrassing–the state has hit rock bottom.