Atlanta Public Schools has achieved its highest graduation rate to date at 79.9 percent, according to 2018 graduation data released today by the Georgia Department of Education. This represents a 2.9 percentage point gain over 2017. Since 2014, the District’s rate has increased by 20.8 percentage points from 59.1 percent in 2014 to 79.9 percent in 2018. Further, the results show that APS cut the gap with the state in half from 3.6 percentage points in 2017 to 1.7 percentage points in 2018. The state’s 2018 graduation rate is 81.6 percent.
 
APS graduation rate over the past five years.

The number of on-time graduates hit a new high at 2,438, which is 82 more graduates than the previous year. In addition, notable gains were achieved by students with disabilities, up 5.0 percentage points to 60.5 percent, and African-American students, up 3.7 percentage points to 78.2 percent. The graduation rate for white students remains high at 95.4 percent, although there was a slight decline (-0.5) compared to last year. The graduation rate for Hispanic students is 73.0 percent, a decrease of 4.6 percentage points from 2017.
 
“We continue to be encouraged by the steady increase in our District’s graduation rate,” said APS Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen. “These increases not only speak to the academic achievements of our students, but also to the positive impact of the work happening in our schools by our staff and the investments we continue to make in our transformation strategy. Every child matters and while we celebrate the gains, we know there’s still work to be done to ensure that every student graduates prepared to succeed in college and career.”  
 
Since 2014, APS has worked aggressively to keep more students on the path to graduation by offering alternative approaches to earning and recovering credits, improving data tracking, and transcript auditing processes.
 
Of the 17 schools receiving 2018 graduation rates, eight achieved percentage point gains when compared to 2017, with the highest at B.E.S.T. Academy (11.1) followed by Maynard H. Jackson High School (7.9). Other schools attaining gains include South Atlanta High School (6.9), Therrell High School (6.7), Washington High School (6.2), Grady High School (3.6), Douglass High School (0.8), and Mays High School (0.2).  
 
APS 2018 Graduation Rates and Change from 2017
 
In addition, six schools had graduation rates greater than 90 percent: Drew Secondary (98.7%), Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy (93.5%), North Atlanta High School (92.5%), Grady High School (92.0%), Carver Early College (91.8%), and KIPP Collegiate (90.2%).
 
“So much of our students’ academic success is tied to social emotional learning, where students learn to set goals, overcome obstacles, and develop healthy, supportive relationships,” Carstarphen added. “This means since 2014, we have worked to make schools more welcoming environments for students by investing in whole child learning so that students acquire the critical skills needed for success in college, career and life.”