Cartersville, Bartow Schools Improve Graduation Rates

CARTERSVILLE, GA — The Georgia Department of Education on Wednesday released graduation rates for the class of 2018, and the two school systems serving Bartow County continue to see more of its students successfully complete high school.

The graduation rate for Cartersville City Schools stood at 91.3 percent while Bartow County Schools' rate was 87.1 percent. Bartow's rate for the class of 2017 was 83.4 while Cartersville's previous rate was 89.2 percent.

Cartersville High School had 283 seniors walk across the stage for the class of 2018 while Bartow County had 875 seniors graduate in May. The Cartersville school system said its rate has improved by 13 percent since 2011, and surpasses the state average, 81.6, by nearly 10 points.

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“Graduation is not only the pinnacle of a student’s K-12 experience, it is the motivation of every staff member to strive daily to connect with our students and to support them in entering the world prepared to succeed," said former Cartersville High School principal and current Superintendent Marc Feuerbach. "Four years ago, I realized it was entirely possible for Cartersville High School to graduate 90 percent or more of our students. At that time, I felt we could reach this objective within four or five years. It is exciting to surpass that goal and even more thrilling that this means a higher number of our students are completing high school.”

Cartersville schools note its rate has improved because it's done a better job at identifying students who move out of the district as non-completers, as well as offering online credit recovery options and a flexible academic block program that give students a chance to receive tutoring, work on assignments, complete makeup work or prepare for the SAT or ACT.

The school system also said its student subgroups, such as those who belong to racial or ethnic groups, low-income students, English language learners and students with disabilities, have made significant gains to shrink the achievement gap.

“While we are very pleased with the strides our students, staff and stakeholders have made, we will continue to set high expectations for all of our students as we prepare them to be both college and career ready," Feuerbach said.

Bartow Schools Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page said his system's improvement is a "testament to our conscientious system leaders, building leadership teams, teachers, and students,” says Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page.

“The amount of hard work that went into that record-breaking year is impressive and I’m confident graduation numbers will continue to increase as we work on collaboration and closing instructional gaps for all of our students," Page said.

Not only did Bartow County’s overall high school graduation rate rise to an all-time high, so did Adairsville High School’s individual graduation rate. This year, Adairsville boasts a 91.2 percent graduation rate, compared to 84 percent in 2017. Principal Bruce Mulkey credits his school’s new graduation rate to an increase in course options and pathways and exceptional commitment from his teachers and Guidance Department.

“In 2013, our graduation rate was 66 percent and our staff made a commitment that it would change,” he added Mulkey. “Every teacher bought into the processes we established and I've watched them pour their hearts and souls into our students to make it happen. The strength of our building has always been our teachers' ability to build relationships with students. They know their students on a personal level and are truly invested in them."

Cass High School also saw gains in 2018, as their graduation rate rose slightly to 88.7 percent from 88.1 percent in 2017. Principal Stephen Revard said he's proud to see the school "consistently" among the top performing schools in this area.

“It truly demonstrates the commitment of our teachers, staff, and parents towards the overall success of our students," Revard states. "Also, it is a testament to the hard work that is done in the classroom by our students as they prepare for a productive life after high school."

Woodland High School followed suit and raised their graduation rate by 3.4 percent. Their current graduation rate is now 82.8 percent. Wes Dickey, principal at Woodland, said he and his staff are excited that the rate has improved and is on an upward trend.

“We will celebrate this success with our Wildcat Family," he added. However, we realize that there is still much room for improvement. We will continue to focus on making Woodland High School an engaging place where students want to go to school each and every day. As we increase our daily student attendance and build positive relationships with all members of our Wildcat Family, we will create the opportunity for the graduation rate to continue to improve.”

Georgia uses the adjusted cohort calculation as required by federal law to determine graduation rates. This rate is the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class.

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