NEWS RELEASES 2011-12
NEWS RELEASES 2011-12NORTH CAROLINA DISTRICTS, SCHOOLS RECOGNIZED FOR HIGH GRADUATION RATES
State Superintendent June Atkinson was joined by Lt. Governor Walter Dalton and State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison in recognizing 10 North Carolina school districts and 32 high schools for having the highest four- year cohort graduation rates in the state in the 2010-11 school year. This is the fourth year that Atkinson has held the special awards ceremony to highlight the importance of high school graduation for all students and to congratulate districts and schools with high rates.
"A high school diploma is essential to success in life for today's public school students. Graduating all of our students career and college ready has been a priority for me since I took the oath of office," State Superintendent June Atkinson said. "I congratulate the principals, teachers and staff at these schools for ensuring that students stay on track for graduation and look forward to the day when all our high schools can boast a 100 percent graduation rate."
State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison also congratulated staff on their students' accomplishments saying, "The State Board of Education is committed to ensuring that students receive a rigorous and relevant education that will prepare them for success after high school. Students should have options when they graduate and a high school diploma is the ticket to making that happen."
School districts and schools were recognized in four categories, described below. In each case, the rates referenced are for the four-year cohort graduation rates. This rate refers to the percentage of students who graduate from high school in four years or less. The rates are for the students who were identified as being in the graduating class of 2011.
| Top Ten School Districts | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Elkin City Schools | 91.7 percent |
| Mooresville City Schools | 91.1 percent |
| Camden County Schools | 90.7 percent |
| Dare County Schools | 90.1 percent |
| Union County Public Schools | 89.1 percent |
| Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools | 88.3 percent |
| Watauga County Schools | 87.4 percent |
| Polk County Schools | 87.2 percent |
| Catawba County Schools | 86.2 percent |
| Cherokee County Schools | 86.1 percent |
| Highest Graduation Rate by Size Number of Students in Cohort: Large = Greater than 2000; Medium = 1000-1999; Small = less than 1000 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Size | Location | Percent |
| Large | Union County Public Schools | 89.1 percent |
| Medium | Catawba County Schools | 86.2 percent |
| Small | Elkin City Schools | 91.7 percent |
| Top Two Schools by 9th Grade Cohort Size | Location | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 0-99 COHORT | ||
| Hillside New Tech High School | Durham Public Schools | 100.0 percent |
| Surry Early College High School Design | Surry County Schools | 100.0 percent |
| 100-199 Cohort | ||
| Central Academy of Technology | Union Co. Public Schools | 100.0 percent |
| Highland School of Technology | Gaston County Schools | 99.2 percent |
200-299 Cohort |
||
| Weddington High | Union County Public Schools | 98.1 percent |
| Cox Mill High School | Cabarrus County Schools | 97.6 percent |
300-399 Cohort |
||
| Marvin Ridge High | Union County Public Schools | 99.3 percent |
| Southwest Guilford High | Guilford County Schools | 92.7 percent |
400-499 Cohort |
||
| Northwest Guilford High | Guilford County Schools | 94.5 percent |
| Lake Norman High | Iredell-Statesville Schools | 94.0 percent |
500+ Cohort |
||
| Green Hope High | Wake County Schools | 95.2 percent |
| Panther Creek High | Wake County Schools | 93.4 percent |
| 100% Graduation Club | Location |
|---|---|
| Burke Middle College | Burke County Schools |
| Caldwell Career Center Middle College | Caldwell County Schools |
| Reid Ross Classical | Cumberland County Schools |
| Davidson Early College | Davidson County Schools |
| Hillside New Tech High School | Durham Public Schools |
| Edgecombe Early College High | Edgecombe County Schools |
| The Early College at Guilford | Guilford County Schools |
| Middle College at Bennett | Guilford County Schools |
| Middle College at Greensboro College | Guilford County Schools |
| Middle College at GTCC–Greensboro | Guilford County Schools |
| Middle College at GTCC-High Point | Guilford County Schools |
| Middle College at GTCC-Jamestown | Guilford County Schools |
| Penn-Griffin School for Arts | Guilford County Schools |
| Weaver Academy | Guilford County Schools |
| Lincoln Charter School | Lincoln County |
| Highlands School | Macon County Schools |
| Nantahala School | Macon County Schools |
| Cato Middle College High | Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools |
| Polk County Early College | Polk County Schools |
| Rutherford Early College High | Rutherford County Schools |
| Surry Early College High School Design | Surry County Schools |
| Central Academy of Technology | Union County Schools |
| Wayne Early/Middle College High | Wayne County School |
North Carolina's statewide four-year cohort graduation rate for 2010-11 is 77.9 percent, which is up 3.7 percentage
points from 2009-10. This rate has improved every year since 2006 when North Carolina reported its first
measurement of a cohort graduation rate.
To view all district and high school graduation rates, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org/graduate/statistics .
About the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides leadership to 115 local public school districts and 107 charter schools serving over 1.4 million students in kindergarten through high school graduation. The agency is responsible for all aspects of the state's public school system and works under the direction of the North Carolina State Board of Education.
For more information:
NCDPI Communications and Information, 919.807.3450.