Some Of Atlanta’s Low-Performing Schools See Graduation Rates Rise

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November 3rd, 2016

Recent graduates line up before the ceremony at South High School, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007, in Cleveland. The Cleveland district overall moved up one notch from last year’s “academic watch” state category to “continuous improvement.” The district’s graduation rate has climbed to 55 percent. Statewide, Ohio has an 86 percent graduation rate. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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State data show Georgia’s high school graduation rate ticked up to 79.2 percent last year. That’s an increase of 0.4 percent. But some typically low-performing schools saw big improvements. Cross Keys High School, in DeKalb County, saw an 18-point jump, reaching nearly 74 percent in 2016. Fulton County’s Banneker High School saw an increase of almost 6 percent. Atlanta’s B.E.S.T. Academy and Douglass High School saw 12- and 10-point increases, respectively.

“We’re seeing districts really focus in on those high-risk, hard-to-serve students, and they’re seeing some pretty dramatic results,” says Dana Rickman, director of policy and research at the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. “So, overall, I would think that that’s very good news.”

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