2023 high school graduation rates for the Columbus area set records. Compare them here
The Muscogee County School District has achieved its highest graduation rate since the state started reporting results based on its current calculation 11 years ago.
MCSD’s 2023 high school graduation rate of 93.5% rose 1.5 percentage points higher than 2022, according to data released Tuesday by the Georgia Department of Education.
MCSD also surpassed the state average (84.4%) for the 11th straight year and the national average of (87%, latest figure available is from 2020) for the ninth straight year.
“Coupled with the SAT results released last month that also surpassed state and national averages, the MCSD Class of 2023 has distinguished itself as a truly outstanding student cohort,” MCSD superintendent David Lewis said in a news release. “I commend them, their families and the myriad of educators and other adults who have supported them throughout their educational careers to become full-option graduates.”
The current formula for the graduation rate, required by the U.S. Department of Education in 2011 and first reported by the GaDOE in 2012, is called the four-year adjusted cohort rate. That measures the percentage of students who graduate from high school within four years.
When the MCSD board hired Lewis in 2013, the district’s graduation rate was 72.8%.
Other highlights for MCSD in this year’s graduation rate report include:
All nine MCSD high schools are above the state average.
Seven increased or maintained their graduation rate: Carver, Columbus, Hardaway, Jordan,Northside, Rainey-McCullers and Shaw.
Two (Columbus and Rainey-McCullers) achieved a 100% graduation rate.
Jordan earned its highest graduation rate (94.9%) since the state started reporting results based on the current formula in 2012.
Individual school results
Here are the graduation rates for each MCSD high school compared to last year:
Columbus 100%, remained the same.
Rainey-McCullers 100%, remained the same.
Northside 96.9%, up by 0.6.
Jordan 94.9%, up by 5.2.
Shaw 94.3%, up by 2.5.
Carver 90.8%, up by 4.3.
Hardaway 90.4%, up by 2.8.
Kendrick 90%, down by 1.6.
Spencer 85.4%, down by 3.6.
MCSD’s graduation rate of 93.5% continues to surpass the other school districts serving second-tier cities in Georgia with similar size and demographics: Chatham County (Savannah) 89.1%, Bibb County (Macon) 87.1% and Richmond County (Augusta) 79%.
Broken down by its eight student subgroups, MCSD’s 2023 graduation rates compared to last year improved in six of them and remained the same in another:
Asian/Pacific Islander 100%, remained the same.
White 94.2%, up by 1.7.
Black 92.9%, up by 1.6.
Multiracial 92.9%, up by 0.2.
Hispanic 92.7%, up by 0.9.
Economically disadvantaged 91.6%, up by 2.3.
Students with disability 81.1%, up by 2.3.
English language learners 78.4%, down by 1.6.
The GaDOE report shows “too few students” for MCSD’s American Indian/Alaskan Native graduation rate because it doesn’t have the minimum number of 15 students in that subgroup among the Class of 2023.
In the other Columbus area school districts, Harris County’s graduation rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 90.8% compared to last year, and Chattahoochee County’s graduation rate decreased by 1.8 percentage points to 95% after reaching a its record high using the current formula.
Superintendent comments
The Ledger-Enquirer asked in emails to the local superintendents questions about their district’s graduation rate report.
Lewis attributes MCSD’s graduation rate success “to systemic processes of tracking relevant data as early as middle school, intentional identification of and interventions for students who may not be on track to graduate on time, and connecting them with dedicated adults who provide encouragement, resources and support.”
The L-E also asked Lewis what disappoints him most about MCSD’s results and what is MCSD doing to address it. This story will be updated when that answer is received.
Replying on behalf of Harris County superintendent Roger Couch, HCSD secondary education curriculum director Donna Patterson said she is most pleased by their graduation rate remaining above the state and national averages.
“It is a reflection of the diligent teamwork of teachers and staff and is the result of investing in our students’ overall well-being when they come to school,” she said. “We have high academic expectations, but we also strive to make school a positive place for them to be.”
Most disappointing, Patterson said, is HCSD not graduating all of its students.
“We will continue to revisit what we are doing to see how we can better serve the students in our district, to provide them with the best possible education for their complete high school career, and reach the ultimate goal of graduation,” she said.
ChattCo superintendent Kristie Brooks said the district’s decrease in its graduation rate isn’t statistically significant. The ChattCo student population is highly transient, due to serving students with parents assigned to adjacent Fort Moore, so district staff have more students than an average school system to track through withdrawals and ensure their eventual graduation is properly recorded for their system’s rate.
“We will examine our process to ensure it is more seamless for families who may be returning overseas,” Brooks said. “This school year, we revised our enrollment process to include the use of fully online forms as well as the ability to schedule a 1:1 appointment with the district enrollment specialist who also serves as the liaison for ChattCo schools at the newcomers meetings.”
Brooks said she is pleased her district’s report shows each of its subgroups (Black students, Hispanic students, economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities) exceeded the state average and “equitably compared to the overall system rate.”
Brooks credits the community’s “increased focus on high expectations” and continuing to “challenge us each day to ensure that we are creating opportunities for post-school success for every graduate.”
