Virginia Department of Education Releases Graduation Statistics, FCPS Posts Rate of 91.2 Percent

The Virginia Department of Education released graduation rates for the class of 2010 at schools in the Commonwealth. According to the VDOE's statistics, 91.2 percent of Fairfax County Public Schools students from the class of 2010 graduated on time, 5 percentage points ahead of the state average of 85.5 percent.

Among the schools outlined for Fairfax County in the 2010 Cohort report are Annandale High School and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. The report shows 87.97% of Annandale High students graduated, 2.33 percent earning their GED, 1.97 percent of students are still enrolled and 7.54 percent have dropped out.

Overall, Annandale's on-time graduation rate increased by more than two percentage points from 2009 and TJHSST posted a 100 percent on-time graduation rate for 2010.

According to the press release, "Virginia's on-time graduation rate is based on four years of student-level data that take into account student mobility, changes in student enrollment, and the needs of special education and limited English proficient students. An on-time graduate for 2010 is a student who entered ninth grade for the first time during the 2006-07 school year and, in four years or less, earned one of the diplomas recognized by the Virginia Board of Education:  standard diploma, advanced studies diploma, International Baccalaureate diploma, general achievement diploma, modified standard diploma or special diploma."

Every year, the VDOE publishes state, division and school-level cohort reports that offer detailed statistics such as the on-time graduation rate, which shows the percentage of students who received a Board of Education-approved diploma within four years of entering high school, for students attending schools throughout the Commonwealth, students who are still in school, students on leave from a school and students with unconfirmed status.

Other statistical information released in the cohort reports includes information on students entering ninth grade for the first time who are scheduled to graduate four years later. The VDOE statistics are based on factors such as student mobility and retention and other patterns.

Of the 25 high school and secondary schools in Fairfax County, 24 posted on-time graduation rates above the state average and 17 of those schools improved their graduation rate from the previous year.