Success story

The on-time graduation rate for high school students in Culpeper County Public Schools has made significant improvement over last year.

According to a report released Tuesday by the Virginia Department of Education, 85.3 percent of Culpeper’s class of 2009 earned a high school diploma within four years, up from 81.1 percent in 2008. Those numbers include students at Eastern View and Culpeper County high schools.

“Part of it is, we are doing a better job at making sure we know where our kids are going when they (transfer) to another school system,” said Jim Allen, director of curriculum and instruction for CCPS. “The fact that we also have smaller schools now really makes a difference. Hopefully, we can keep kids in school by personalizing it.”

CCPS Superintendent Bobbi Johnson agrees with Allen, attributing the graduation rate increase to supportive systems at both high schools and keeping the students engaged in education.

“There are several new approaches to mentoring freshmen and supporting upperclassmen that I anticipate will yield even higher rates in the future,” Johnson wrote via e-mail Tuesday. “I believe our leadership and school staff realize that making personal connections goes a long way in keeping students in school.”

Across Virginia, 83.2 percent of students graduated on time in 2009, up from 82.2 percent in 2008.

“A one-point increase in the graduation rate represents nearly 1,000 additional young men and women who earned diplomas and are ready for post-secondary education or entry-level employment,” said Patricia I. Wright, superintendent of public instruction for the commonwealth.

According to the report, CCPS also had a 7.2 percent dropout rate in 2009, down from last year’s 9.5 percent dropout rate.

“As a division, we are considering other dropout prevention measures and realize that this effort needs to involve staff and students before the high school years,” Johnson said. “Academic planning for all middle school students will be just one tool we use to make sure students are thinking about their next steps.”

Locally, the study followed 516 students who began the ninth grade in 2005. They received an identification number, allowing the state to monitor their on-time graduation rate.

Before the new longitudinal student data system, the state estimated the figures based on numbers provided by school divisions. This is the second year VDOE has reported cohort graduation rates for the state and school divisions.

Of Virginia’s 324 high schools, 187 had graduation rates higher than the commonwealth’s 83.2 percent rate, two matched the state and 135 were lower.

Highland County and Falls Church had the highest on-time graduation rates, with 96.6 percent and 96.3 percent, respectively. Hopewell had the lowest with 60.5 percent, followed by Petersburg with 61.4 percent.

In Culpeper, female students received an 86.6 percent graduation rate — ranking 2.7 percent higher than their male counterparts.

Black students ranked the lowest when it came to comparing the four ethnic subgroups in Culpeper, while Asian students earned the highest with 100 percent. There were seven Asian students in the four-year study.

Hispanic students ranked second with an 88 percent graduation rate, followed by whites at 87.5 percent.

Graduation rates by the numbers
A closer look at the on-time graduation rates for high school
students in 2009 …

Culpeper County
Group Pct.
Overall 85.3
Asian 100
Hispanic 88.0
White 87.5
Female 86.6
Male 83.9
Blacks 76.7
* 516 students measured

Virginia
Group Pct.
Asian 93.3
Overall 83.2
White 87.0
Female 86.4
Male 80.2
Blacks 75.7
Hispanic 72.3
* 96,103 students measured

Rappahannock 92.6
Orange 91.2
Fauquier 88.1
Culpeper 85.3
Madison 84.4

Source: Va. Department of Education