Franklin County School Superintendent Speaks to High Graduation Rate

Franklin County School Superintendent Dr. Ruth O’Dell says the rising graduation rate at Franklin County High School has come as a result of years of hard work.

Last week, the State Board of Education released the 2014 graduation rates for high schools across Georgia.

Franklin County’s rate for 2014 was 86.2% with 212 students graduating out of a class of 246.

The rate is based on a new cohort, which Dr. O’Dell said is part of a new, more difficult standard that tracks students from 9th grade to graduation.

Franklin County’s graduation rate has risen from 55% in 2007 to 86.2% in just seven years; a remarkable feat for any high school.

Dr. O’Dell said there are several reasons for the huge jump.

“Some of it has to do with things the high school has done, such as offering more opportunities to take classes online, make up courses, the whole credit recovery piece,” she said. “That way students don’t feel defeated. They have another opportunity in the next semester to repeat that class maybe online.”

Another part of the success is the teacher involvement now in students’ lives and academic progress.

So now, students who are struggling are not falling through the cracks because they can’t keep up.

“Everybody keeps up with the kids now,” O’Dell said. “You can ask any counselor how many credits the kids have, how much they need, do they have everything, how is their attendance. There’s a lot more attention being placed on students with disabilities graduating. Another thing is the entire school system owns the children. Everybody can tell you now what the graduation rate is.”

O’Dell said students are also being told how important it is to graduate for their future success.

And she said parents are also becoming more involved, many attending special regular sessions with Dr. O’Dell and school staff so they can learn how better to support their students in the classroom and help them succeed.

O’Dell said the emphasis on graduation and career readiness is now also starts in elementary school.

“That really is what the new curriculum that we’ve been learning the past four years is all about. It’s college and career readiness,” she said. “It’s a whole new way of learning and think and write and communicate. Even the students with disabilities. We’re not saying they can’t do this. We’re teaching them ways to accommodate their learning problems so that they can be successful.”

O’Dell said the new system of teaching and learning has resulted in 50% of those who graduate going on to post-secondary education, such as college or technical college.