GCSS Graduation Rates Top State Averages

According to new figures by the Georgia Department of Education, Glynn County Schools has once again topped the state for its graduation rates. In the Georgia DOE’s analysis report, high school graduation rates rose to 84.4 percent in 2023, up from 84.1 percent in 2022.

This is an all-time high for Georgia’s graduation rate since the state began using the adjusted cohort calculation now required by federal law, reports the Georgia DOE. Forty-three Georgia school districts recorded 2023 graduation rates at or above 95 percent.  In Glynn County, the school system’s overall graduation rate rose from 95.2 percent in 2022 to 96.5 percent this year. It is also the highest graduation rate among all systems in the First District RESA.

Growth in the state’s overall graduation rate is a byproduct of more pathways in Career, Technical and Agriculture Education (CTAE), dual enrollment, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs, and workforce development and training opportunities.  Locally, it is a result of tailored school improvement plans and foundational structures that provide curricula, programs and services that address students’ academic, career and social-emotional needs.

Glynn County Schools Assistant Superintendent Eric Benson attributes these results to the hard work done daily by our students, teachers and school administrators.

"Each and every one of these individuals had a role to play in helping the students reach their potential throughout each grade level. This was a team effort from their kindergarten teacher all the way through their high school teachers,” Benson said.

“Additionally, thank you to the families who supported and encouraged our graduates to do their best and finish."

At Brunswick High, the graduation rate slightly decreased from 94.5 percent in 2022 to 94.4 percent in 2023. Glynn Academy saw a 98.6 percent graduation rate in 2023 compared to 95.8 percent last school year.

Superintendent Scott Spence said these results are the collective efforts of all our stakeholders, including school leadership, who have helped identify and secure the necessary resources to support teachers in preparing students for successful and confident transitions to postsecondary education and employment.

“We are incredibly proud of this news and the continued improvement of our graduation rate. This wonderful accomplishment reflects the hard work of our high schools and their staff, but it also highlights the concerted efforts of our entire system,” Spence said.

“Our schools, especially elementary and middle schools, lay the foundation for success, and we are confident our teachers and instructional staff are creating positive learning environments for students in each school building. Even so, our goal is to see all of our students reach this important milestone and prepare them for their career or college.”

State School Superintendent Richard Woods echoed his sentiments.

“I’m incredibly proud of Georgia’s high-school seniors – and the teachers, leaders, and families who have supported them to produce these results,” he said.

“It’s important to remember that the positive news we’ve received lately – from this historic-high graduation rate to Georgia students beating the national average on the SAT – is more than just numbers. Every data point represents an actual student and new opportunities that have opened up for their future. I’m confident we’ll continue to see positive results as we invest in academic recovery and building a student-centered educational system.”

About Georgia Graduation Rates

Georgia calculates a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate as required by federal law.  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.  From the beginning of ninth grade, students who are entering that grade for the first time form a cohort that is subsequently “adjusted” by adding any students who transfer into the cohort during the next three years, and subtracting any students who transfer out.