GCS Graduation Rate Continues to Increase
Greenville County Schools’ performance indicators, including graduation rate, continue to increase, according to the State Report Card issued today by the South Carolina Department of Education. The district’s graduation rate increased from 86.8 percent in 2016 to 87.3 percent in 2017. Since 2012, the school district’s graduation rate has increased about 21 percent (14.9 percentage points).
Other indicators of student success are the percentage of GCS seniors eligible for LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarships (40.4%) and the percentage of GCS graduates in the Class of 2017 enrolled in a two- or four-year college or technical college pursuing an associate’s degree, certificate, or diploma (76.7%).
Other highlights of the 2017 State Report Card are:
- 11,079 students enrolled in career and technology courses
- 1,069 students enrolled in dual enrollment courses, with a 97.4% success rate of students enrolled in these courses
- 44.2% of students enrolled in AP or IB programs, with a 58.6% success rate in these programs
“These impressive results for our graduates are a reflection of the engagement of our students, the support of our community, the guidance of our Board of Trustees, and of the sustained and dedicated efforts of the 10,000 teachers and other employees of Greenville County Schools to prepare our students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade to succeed both in school and in life,” said Superintendent Dr. Burke Royster. “It is an honor and privilege to work with such a talented and committed team. We will continue to strive toward our goal of all students graduating college and career-ready.”
Report Cards are designed to provide a progress report on how schools and districts are performing on the World Class Knowledge, Skills and Characteristics outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Performance indicators are reported through test score measures that indicate readiness for college using the ACT, SAT, End-of-Course Tests, and readiness for careers using WorkKeys. The SC READY tests in grades 3-8 are also aligned to show student readiness for the college entrance tests they will ultimately take in high school.
The 2017 Report Cards highlight opportunities provided to students at each grade level including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Dual Credit participation. Report cards also provide vital information to the business community by showing the number of students enrolled in Career and Technical courses, number of students who have earned an industry certification, and students who participated in an apprenticeship or work-based learning opportunity.
Pursuant to Act 200, Report Card ratings for both districts and schools were suspended for two years, in 2015 and 2016. Districts and schools will receive report card ratings under a new accountability system for the 2017-18 school year, which will be released in the fall of 2018.