Duval County sees increase in graduation rate
JACKSONVILLE –
Governor Charlie Crist and Education
Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg today announced
that Duval County's graduation rate rose to 64.3
percent this year, an increase of almost 4
percentage points. Meanwhile, Duval County’s
high school dropout rate declined from last
year, dropping 1.4 percentage points to 5.2
percent.
“This achievement is a reflection of our
teachers' and administrators' dedication to the
students in Duval County,” said Duval County
Public Schools Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals.
“We are committed to the continued improvement
of our graduation rate to ensure our graduates
are prepared for work and post-secondary
education.”
Duval County's graduation rate
increased nearly three times the state's
average, and the county's dropout rate declined
by seven times as much. The graduation rate in
Florida is the highest it has been since the
state employed new, more accurate data
collection methods during the 1998-99 school
year.
The
Florida Department of Education bases its
graduation rate on data that follows every
single student from ninth grade to graduation
yielding a more precise calculation.
National studies of dropout
rates use a generalized methodology when
calculating their findings. Florida
currently stands alone nationally in its
practice of compiling and following individual
student records to determine a true, four-year
graduation rate. In a 2005 report released by
the National Governors Association, Florida is
cited as a national leader and model for
calculating graduation rates.
