Franklin, Hart County HS Grad Rates Steadily Rising, Says State

Graduation rates in Franklin and Hart county high schools have increased over the past couple of years.

That’s according to a new report issued by the State Board of Education.

Overall, Georgia’s public high school graduation rate has increased for the third consecutive year, rising from 71.8 percent in 2013 to 72.5 percent in 2014, and rising a total of 5.1 percentage points since 2011.

State Graduation Rates
2014 – 72.5 percent
2013 – 71.8 percent
2012 – 69.7 percent
2011 – 67.4 percent

State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge called the news something to celebrate.

This is the fourth year Georgia has calculated the graduation rate using a new formula – known as the adjusted cohort rate – now required by the U.S. Department of Education.

The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate defines the cohort based on when a student first becomes a freshman.

It is calculated using the number of students who graduate within four years and includes adjustments for student transfers.

In contrast, Georgia’s former graduation rate calculation defined the cohort upon graduation, which may have included students who took more than four years for graduate.

In Franklin County, the cohort graduation rate in2014 was 86.2% with 212 students graduating out of a class of 246. In 2013, according to the report, the graduation rate  was 77% with 224 students matriculating out of a class of 291.

In Hart County, the 2014 graduation rate was 88.1%. 208 Students graduated out of a class of 236. The 2013 graduation rate was 85.2%  with 196 graduating out of a class of 230.