APS On-Time Graduation Rate Remains High

On-Time Rate for the Three Comprehensive High Schools is 96%

This year’s APS On-Time Graduation Rate (OGR) was 91%, (1,399 students), remaining consistently high with past year’s performance. In 2017, 67% of APS students who graduated earned an Advanced Studies or IB diploma and 93% of those responding to a survey reported that they plan to continue their education with a post-secondary experience.

The OGR reflects the percentage of students who earned a Board of Education-approved diploma within four years of entering high school for the first time.  OGR increased by nearly six percentage points from 85% in 2009 to 91% in 2017.

For those APS students in the 2017 cohort who attended Wakefield, Washington-Lee, or Yorktown for the four-year period, the graduation rate was 96%.

The drop-out rate changed slightly (by 1.1 percentage points) since 2016. Over the past five years, the dropout rate has continued to decline for Black students by 1.4 percentage points, for economically disadvantaged students by 7.3 percentage points, and for English learners by 6.6 percentage points.

Arlington Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy said, “I want to congratulate our recent APS graduates for their success and thank our outstanding staff and families for continuing to support all of our students in their academic accomplishments. As our school division continues to grow, I am especially proud of our teachers who recognize the importance of meeting the individual needs of each student so they succeed and are ready to take the next steps in their lives to become successful, active, involved and contributing members in our community.”

VDOE Release and Definitions

• The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) released 2017 On-Time Graduation and Dropout Rates earlier this morning.
• Both rates are based on the cohort of students who first entered Grade 9 during the 2013-14 school year:
  • On-time graduates are those who earned a Virginia Board of Education-approved diploma
  • Dropouts reflect the students who dropped out or whose status is undetermined.

 Additional Resources Online High school cohort reports for schools, school divisions and the commonwealth are available for viewing and downloading on the VDOE website.

• Table 1: APS Cohort On-time Graduation and Dropout Rates
• Table 2: APS Diploma Rates Among APS Graduates
• Table 3: 2017 On-time Graduation and Dropout Rates by School

Advanced Studies Diplomas include International Baccalaureate Diplomas earned by students in the IB program at Washington-Lee High School. Modified Standard Diplomas and Special Diplomas are available only to students with disabilities and, beginning with the Grade 9 class in 2013-14, will no longer be offered.