In 2008, the U.S. Department of Education instructed the states to use a new and more accurate formula for calculating public high school graduation rates.   

Today, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) reported the public high school graduation rates for the state, each public school system, and each public high school using this new and more accurate formula.

The GaDOE reported that the on-time public high school graduation rate for Georgia public schools was 67.4 percent. The GaDOE, using the old formula, had been reporting a graduation rate of over 80 percent.

Almost all states have had this issue of overestimating graduation rates in public schools.

Public high school graduation rates using this new and more accurate formula can be found for all Georgia public school districts and individual public high schools at the link below:

http://www.ajc.com/news/search-georgias-adjusted-high-1412620.html

The GaDOE press release on the new graduation statistics and spreadsheets with all the data for individual districts and schools are at this link:

http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/communications/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?pid=33


News stories about the new graduation rates can be found at the links below:

http://www.ajc.com/news/under-new-formula-georgia-1412447.html

http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/04/10/new-calculation-method-lowers-georgias-high-school-grad-rate-to-67-4-anyone-surprised/

http://www.macon.com/2012/04/10/1984724/bibb-houston-county-graduation.html#storylink=rss#wgt=rss

http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2012/apr/10/new-formula-drops-dougherty-graduation-rate-54-per/