Education Week Includes GCS in “Overachiever” List

According to a recent report, the graduation rate for the class of 2006 was higher than expected

Contact: Laurie Hogan (336) 370-8307
Created: 6/10/2009 4:50:20 PM

The graduation rate for Guilford County Schools’ (GCS) class of 2006 was 14 percentage points higher than experts expected according to a report released Tuesday by Education Week.

Diplomas Count 2009, a report by Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center, included GCS on a list of graduation rate “overachievers.” Districts making the list were defined as the nation’s largest urban school systems that posted the highest graduation rates and strongest growth relative to expectations based on district characteristics. The report says that most school districts are meeting expectations based on characteristics like their size, poverty rates, concentrations of minority students and per-pupil spending levels. However, GCS and 32 other urban districts exceeded expectations by at least 10 percentage points in 2006.

The EPE Research Center places the national graduation rate at 69.2 percent for the class of 2006 in the report, which is its most current analysis of high school completion. The organization lists the GCS expected graduation rate for 2006 at 53 percent and the district’s actual rate for that year at 68 percent. The organization calculated graduation rates for the report using the Cumulative Promotion Index method and data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Common Core of Data. Its list of “overachievers” was part of a larger, ten-year look at national, statewide and district graduation rates.

Diplomas Count 2009 is available on the Education Week Web site at the link below.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2009/06/11/index.html

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About Guilford County Schools

Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 71,000 students at 120 schools. With approximately 10,000 employees, the district’s mission is to graduate responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice. 

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship.  For more information, visit the district’s Web site at www.gcsnc.com.