Eight of Ten Student Subgroups Show Impressive Gains
The Dekalb County School District’s (DCSD) graduation rate reached an all-time high in 2024. The four-year graduation rate is now 79.1%, up 3.3 percent from 2023 and a whopping 20.5 percent from 2011, the first year an adjusted cohort calculation was required by federal law.
In addition to the All Students category improvement, seven (7) out of nine (9) district student subgroup rates (77.8%) increased over the prior school year. They represented the highest graduation rates for these populations over the past ten years.
| Subgroup | Improvement % | Class of 2023 v. Class of 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| All Students | Increased by 3.3 | (75.8 to 79.1) |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | Increased by 4.8 | (80.6 to 85.4) |
| Black | Increased by 2.6 | (77.0 to 79.6) |
| Hispanic | Increased by 6.5 | (60.7 to 67.2) |
| White | Increased by 2.7 | (91.6 to 94.3) |
| Economically Disadvantaged | Increased by 3.7 | (73.6 to 77.3) |
| English Learner | Increased by 5.8 | (54.9 to 60.7) |
| Students with Disability* | Increased by 4.7 | (62.6 to 67.3) |
*The 2024 school year marks the 7th consecutive annual gain for the Students with Disability subgroup.
“These graduation improvements are only possible because of the determination and focus of our students, teachers, families, support staff, and administrators who have committed to doing the work necessary to achieve this important milestone,” said Superintendent Dr. Devon Q. Horton. “Our Board of Education also deserves credit for investing strategic resources to enhance student achievement and outcomes, such as these impressive graduation rate gains.”
Eighteen (18) out of twenty-five (25) high schools (72%) increased their four-year graduation rate.
The most notable school double-digit gains occurred at the following three (3) high schools:
| McNair High School | Increased 21.7% | (55.2 to 76.9) |
|---|---|---|
| DeKalb Alternative School | Increased 13.5% | (15.9 to 29.4) |
| Columbia High School | Increased 10.7% | (72.0 to 82.7) |
Five (5) schools demonstrated gains of 6 percentage points or higher over the prior school year: Clarkston High School (+8.1), East DeKalb Special Education Center (+7.9), Stephenson High School (+7.1), Lakeside High School (+6.6), and Cross Keys High School (+6.0).
Additional graduation rate increases were observed at the following ten (10) high schools: Dunwoody HS (+4.8), Cedar Grove HS (+4.4), Elizabeth Andrews HS (+3.7), Chamblee HS (+3.4), Tapestry Public Charter (+3.0), Druid Hills HS (+2.7), Redan HS (+2.0), Towers HS (+2.0), Stone Mountain HS (+1.6), Arabia Mountain HS (+0.3),
| DeKalb Early College Academy* | 100% Third year in a row at 100 percent! |
|---|---|
| Arabia Mountain High School* | 98.9% |
| DeKalb School of the Arts | 97.2% |
| Tapestry Public Charter School* | 96.8% |
*Title 1 School
“We are continuing to implement our MIRACLES framework to restructure and enhance our schools into more highly engaged, student-centered learning environments,” Dr. Horton said. “The one thing that will never change is our commitment to nurturing our culture and climate, ensuring the success of all students.”
Last year, one of the District MIRACLES Tenets was developing a system-wide Graduation Cohort Monitoring Protocol. These standard operating procedures were fully integrated into the Horizon high schools during the 2023-24 school year and monitored by district-level Area Horizon staff. Furthermore, the district restructured and hired dedicated staff to increase support to all high schools across DCSD.
This year, the graduation cohort monitoring protocol has been expanded to all high schools as a system-wide expectation. Several MIRACLES Tenets have been launched to support future graduation rate gains:
- Disconnect to Reconnect: A classroom instruction re-engagement initiative limiting student cell phone access during the school day.
- Acceleration Academies: A drop-out initiative to re-engage students seeking to earn their high school diploma.
- Chancelight: Support for over-aged middle school students to accelerate their transition into high school.
- Post-Secondary U.S.H. Plan: A plan to Prepare, Uplift, and Support students Holistically in grades 6-12 as they transition to high school and graduate prepared to achieve their post-secondary goals.
- Improve Instructional Core: Integrate an evidence-based literacy platform to support students with disabilities in some of our Horizon schools.
- Instructional Language Plans for English Learners: student-specific plans to increase the English language acquisition skills of identified English learners.