HCPSS Graduate Rate Continues to Rise

October 31st, 2012

The percentage of HCPSS students who receive high school diplomas continues to rise and to outpace statewide results, according to data to be released today by the Maryland State Department of Education.

At 90.64 percent, the graduation rate for the HCPSS Class of 2011 cohort exceeded the Maryland average of 82.82 percent, and showed a notable improvement over the county’s prior year graduation rate of 89.53 percent.

At 80.95 percent, the 2011 graduation rate for HCPSS African-American students compares favorably to the state average of 76.09 percent. Likewise, Howard County Hispanic students graduated at higher rates than their Maryland peers, at 78.76 percent versus 71.77 percent.

“In HCPSS, we are working to ensure that all of our students graduate; and that our high school diplomas are a promise of preparation for college or livable wage work,” said Superintendent Renee A. Foose. ” Our reform efforts are focused on teaching students to succeed in tomorrow’s world through a relevant, rigorous curriculum and personalized learning. The graduation rate is one measure that helps us to understand the extent to which we are fulfilling this promise.”

Of the students who received a diploma in the spring, more than 97 percent met the HSA requirement through examination. Only 2.1 percent—82 students—met the requirement through the alternative Bridge Plan for Academic Validation. The Bridge Plan is the project-based alternative to the HSA exams. Dropout patterns among student groups mirror the graduation rates. The number of HCPSS students who leave school before graduating continues to decrease, with just a 5.93 percent dropout rate among the 2011 cohort, compared to 7.19 percent for the prior year. Howard County results in this area again outperform those at the state level, where the 2011 dropout rate was 11.22 percent.