Maryland high school students are graduating at record high rate, according to data just released by the Maryland State Department of Education.
The four-year cohort graduation rate reached 83.57 percent for the class of 2012—students who entered school in the fall of 2008—compared to 82.82 percent in 2011. At the same time, the four-year cohort dropout rate fell statewide from 11.22 percent in 2011 to 10.28 percent in 2012.
“Because of the better choices we’ve made together, Maryland’s public schools have been certified as number one in the nation five years in row,” said Gov Martin O’Malley. “Thanks to our dedicated educators, students and parents, our high school students are graduating at a higher rate now than ever before. Together, we’re building state-of-the-art classrooms, creating innovative curricula, and preparing our students for the jobs of tomorrow. The more students that graduate, the stronger our economy will be and the better our future together.”
State Superintendent of Schools Lillian M. Lowery agreed that a better graduation rate establishes the foundation for continued success.
“Our primary goal as educators is to prepare students for college and career,” Dr Lowery said. “The first step in that critical effort is to make certain our students receive their high school diplomas. We are not satisfied with the graduation numbers, but the new data indicates we are on the right road.”
The trend line for Maryland’s statewide graduation rate has been positive. Under a change in federal rules, high school graduation numbers are calculated in what is commonly called the “cohort rate.” The four-year adjusted cohort rate is the number of students who graduate with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. For any given cohort, students who are entering ninth grade for the first time form a cohort that is later “adjusted” by adding students who transfer in during the succeeding years, and subtracting those who transfer out.