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Graduation Rate Rises to 90 Percent for Class of 2010

October 5, 2010

Rate Jumps for 24 of 25 MCPS High Schools

   The graduation rate for Montgomery County Public Schools increased to 90 percent in 2010, spurred by dramatic gains among the district’s African American students.
   The graduation rate for the MCPS class of 2010 showed an increase of more than 2½ percentage points over the Class of 2009, with African American students gaining more than 4 percentage points.
   “This is outstanding news for our district. More of our students are graduating on time with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful,” said Patricia O’Neill, President of the Montgomery County Board of Education. “Congratulations to the students, parents and staff that made these results possible.”
   The MCPS graduation rate of 90 percent is 3.4 percentage points higher than the rate for the state of Maryland (86.6 percent).
   The MCPS Class of 2010 has already demonstrated that it is well-prepared for college and the work place. This group of graduates had the best SAT performance in the district’s history, scoring a 1653, an increase of 38 points over the previous year. The Class of 2010 earned more than $234 million in college scholarships—an all-time record—including 62 National Merit Scholarship winners.
   “This is perhaps the best prepared class in MCPS history,” said Superintendent Jerry D. Weast. “We not only had more graduates, but we have more young men and women who are prepared for the rigors of college and the workplace.”
   The graduation rate increased at 24 of the district’s 25 high schools, with the biggest gains seen at John F. Kennedy High School (5.6 percentage points), Montgomery Blair High School (5.5 points), and Wheaton High School (5.4 points).
   Eight MCPS high schools had graduation rates greater than 95 percent, the highest belonging to Poolesville High School, (99.3 percent), Winston Churchill High School (98.2 percent) and Thomas S. Wootton High School (97.8 percent).
    Since 2000, the MCPS graduation rate has remained steady, ranging from 87 percent to 92 percent, even as the district has seen dramatic increases in English Language Learners and students who are living in poverty.
   “We have a firm commitment to a vision that race, ethnicity and poverty will not be predictors of academic success,” Dr. Weast said. “Thanks to our outstanding staff and the community’s unwavering commitment to public education, we are getting closer to realizing that vision.”

Graduation Rate by Race/Ethnicity

Graduation Rate by High School

To See a VIDEO About the MCPS Graduation Rate

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