A CHS graduate after crossing the stage at last May’s Class of 2015 graduation.
The Georgia Department of Education released the graduation rates for Georgia high schools today. The report shows graduation rates increased from 72.5% to 78.8% for all Georgia high schools using the four-year cohort measurement. Carrollton High School experienced a significant increase in its overall graduation rate. Carrollton’s graduation rate now sits at a lofty 87.6%.
“We expected to see these numbers climb,” said Dr. Kent Edwards, superintendent of Carrollton City Schools. “Our stated goal is to achieve a 100% graduation rate from Carrollton High School by 2021 and this is the first step in getting us to this goal.
“We believe school refers to the process of learning and not just a building,” Edwards continued. “Developing young people who continue to learn for a lifetime produces the citizens and leaders who will follow behind us. We readily accept the challenge that we own some part of our student’s life journey once they leave Carrollton City Schools.”
While the sub-group data has not yet been released by the Georgia DOE, Carrollton High School principal Dr. Mark Albertus expects positive gains across all groups.
“These are solid results for such a dynamic and diverse student body,” Albertus said. ”Our team of professional educators are incredibly excited about our students. Our goal of 100 percent graduation for every student means exactly that – every student.”
“We continue to examine everything we do to expand what works and eliminate what doesn’t,” Albertus continued. “We will celebrate today. But, there were some young people who we didn’t get across the graduation stage with their class. We will do what we must to ensure every child who enters our high school earns a Carrollton High School diploma.”
Even though a focus is to get all students across the stage on graduation night, Albertus notes that doesn’t mean CHS is ignoring the expectation of rigor for the high achievers who are on task to graduate.
“Carrollton High School continues to be the educational leader in graduation rates and students attending college in the west Georgia region,” said Albertus. “As the region’s only AdvancED STEM-certified high school, the only International Baccalaureate program and offering more AP classes than any other high school in the region, we provide academic rigor to every young person, not just those who are struggling to graduate.”