Washington County School District’s 2021 graduation rate data was released last week. Despite the challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, the district’s graduation rate surpasses the state rate by almost 10%.
The state graduation rate for 2021 was 83.7%. Washington County School District’s rate was 93.24%. The school district credits the hard work of the entire staff, students, and community stakeholders for reaching this milestone.
“The Washington County School District is proud of its accomplishments in educating the students of our community. Our graduation rate is nearly 10 points higher than the Georgia average at 93%. Dual enrollment is up. Nine of the 214 students in the 2021 graduating class received Associate Degrees, and 12 had been accepted into the military upon graduation. Twenty had already received scholarships among the 86 that had been accepted into college,” Board Chair, Chris Hutchings, shared his thoughts.
In more recent years, strategies have been implemented regarding communication, collaboration, and collecting and leveraging data. Placing importance on these principles has greatly impacted how students are served. Students are encouraged to plan for their future, and an emphasis has been placed on ensuring that students have been exposed to a variety of career fields, paths, and hands on experiences.
“It is vital that our students have a plan for when they leave these walls. We know that each student’s success will vary, and we can think of nothing more fulfilling than seeing them leave here and go straight into the workforce, military, college, or technical school of their choice,” WCHS Principal Darryl Gilbert remarked.
It is this kind of down board thinking and planning that the district attributes to the high graduation rate. Students and staff collaborate together to plan the future. This open dialogue provides students and staff a clear picture of what is occurring, and what the next steps should be to position students for success.
The numbers of the 2021 graduating class support the success of this strategy, and prompts these conversations and student-centered planning to occur earlier in a student’s academic career. “It is critical that we start talking to students about what they think their future holds, and gear their path towards their future. As an organization, our vision is to produce well-rounded students ready to lead in our community and a global society. Providing students with an individualized experience, will create those competitive 21st century students that are ready to lead in the community and the workforce,” Superintendent Dr. Rickey Edmond stated.
To see a breakdown of the Class of 2021's Achievements click on the document below.
