HCPSS Graduate Rate Continues To Rise

January 29th, 2014

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

At 93.25 percent, the graduation rate for the HCPSS Class of 2013 cohort exceeded the Maryland average of 84.97 percent, and showed a notable improvement over the county’s prior year graduation rate of 90.39 percent. The statistics reflect data for the cohort of students graduating within four years after entering high school.

At 87.50 percent, the 2013 graduation rate for HCPSS African-American students outpaced by nearly 4 full percentage points the prior year rate of 83.63 percent, and compares favorably to the state average of 78.26 percent. Likewise, Howard County Hispanic students outperformed their 2012 peers by more than 5 full percentage points, with graduation rates of 85.76 to 80.37 respectively, and at a level that well exceeded the 75.08 rate of their Maryland peers.

“HCPSS is committed to ensuring that all of our students graduate; and that each high school diploma signifies preparation for college or livable wage work,” said Superintendent Renee A. Foose. “We 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 our promise of preparation to every Howard County student.”

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 4.29 percent dropout rate among the 2013 cohort, compared to 6.02 percent for the prior year. Howard County results in this area again outperform those at the state level, where the 2013 dropout rate was 9.36 percent.