MCPS Graduation Rate on the Rise

January 28, 2014

The four-year graduation rate for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has risen to 88.3 percent, according to data released by the Maryland State Department of Education on Tuesday (January 28, 2014). The MCPS graduation rate rose nearly one percentage point compared with the Class of 2012 and has risen 1.5 percentage points over the past two years.

The MCPS graduation rate for the Class of 2013 is 3.3 percentage points higher than the rate for the state of Maryland.

“The steady increase in our graduation rate is a testament to the hard work of our students and staff, and the support of our parents and community members,” Superintendent of Schools Joshua P. Starr said. “We are committed to ensuring that all students graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in their future.”

On Tuesday, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released the four-year graduation rate calculations for all districts and schools in Maryland. This is the fourth year that Maryland has calculated the graduation rate using the “cohort” calculation, which is considered more accurate than the state’s previous calculation, the “leaver” rate.

MSDE also released dropout rate information for the Class of 2013. For MCPS, the dropout rate fell to 6.3 percent—a one-year decrease of 0.5 percentage point and a two-year decrease of 1.1 points. The MCPS dropout rate is 3.1 percentage points lower than the state rate of 9.4 percent.

The four-year graduation rate has improved for all major student subgroups in MCPS. For instance, the MCPS graduation rate for African American students rose to 83.9 percent, a one-year increase of 1.6 percentage points and a two-year increase of 2.6 points. The graduation rate for MCPS Hispanic students rose to 77.5 percent, a one-year increase of 0.8 percentage points and a two-year increase of 2.1 points.

“We are making steady progress in our efforts to narrow performance gaps,” Dr. Starr said. “But we know that there is still much work to be done to ensure that every student graduates on time and is ready for college and the work place.”

The gap in graduation rates between African American and Caucasian students has narrowed by 1.8 percentage points over the past two years. The gap between Hispanic and Caucasian students has narrowed by 1.3 percentage points.

The graduation rate for MCPS students who receive special education services and Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMS) also continues to improve. For special education students, the graduation rate is 67.5 percent, up 4.7 points from 2012. For students receiving FARMS, the graduation rate is 78.1 percent, up 1.5 points compared with 2012.

Sixteen of the school system’s 25 high schools saw a one-year increase in the graduation rates, and 19 high schools saw a two-year increase. Among the highlights of school performance:

-The MCPS high schools with the biggest one-year gain in graduation rate are Rockville (up 4.8 percentage points), Springbrook (4.0 points), Clarksburg (3.7 points), Northwest (3.7 points), and Northwood (3.6 points)

-The MCPS high schools with the biggest two-year gain in graduation rates are Rockville (up 7.4 percentage points), Northwood (3.5 points), Clarksburg (3.3 points), Quince Orchard (3.2 points), and Bethesda-Chevy Chase (2.9 points).

-The MCPS high schools with the highest graduation rates are Thomas S. Wootton (98.3 percent), Winston Churchill (97.4 percent), Poolesville (96.9 percent), Bethesda-Chevy Chase (96.7 percent), and Northwest (94.8 percent).

- Sixteen MCPS high schools saw a one-year increase in the graduation rate for African American students, with the largest increases at Clarksburg (up 9.9 percentage points), Damascus (9.2 points), Quince Orchard, (6.8 points), Paint Branch (6.7 points) and Richard Montgomery (5.5 points).

- Twelve MCPS high schools saw a one-year increase in the graduation rate for Hispanic students, with the largest increases at Springbrook (up 10.3 percentage points), Bethesda Chevy-Chase (8.8 points), Northwood (8.6 points), Seneca Valley (8.6 points), and Damascus (7.6 points).

- Thirteen MCPS high schools saw a one-year increase in the graduation rate for students receiving FARMS, with the largest increases at Quince Orchard (up 9.6 percentage points), Clarksburg (8.6 points), Springbrook (7.3 points), Rockville (6.9 points) and Northwood (6.1 points).

- Seventeen MCPS high schools saw a one-year increase in the graduation rate for students receiving Special Education services, with the largest increases at Paint Branch (up 21.8 percentage points), Quince Orchard (19.2 points), Northwood (12.4 points), Richard Montgomery (11.7 points) and Damascus (11.4 points).

MCPS Graduation Rate Data by School

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