Area high schools recognized by state for high graduation rates

Press release from Henderson County Public Schools:

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 27, 2016) – Henderson County Early College, West Henderson High School, and Hendersonville High School were three of 70 North Carolina schools recognized for their exceptionally high 2015-16 cohort graduation rates by State Superintendent June Atkinson on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at a special ceremony in Durham.

Early College was one of 62 schools in North Carolina with a four-year cohort graduation rate of 100 percent in 2015-16. West Henderson High, with a rate of 96.7 percent, and Hendersonville High, with a rate of 95.6 percent, were among high schools in North Carolina recognized for achieving a cohort graduation rate of 95 percent or higher.

A four-year cohort graduation rate measures the number of graduates who started together as freshmen and completed high school in four years.

This is the second year in a row that Early College has been in the state’s “100% Graduation Club,” and the second year in a row West Henderson High has been recognized for a graduation rate of 95 percent or higher. All three high schools outperformed the state average graduation rate of 85.9 percent in 2016.

“Henderson County Public Schools are committed to educating leaders who are college-ready and prepared for the real world after high school,” said HCPS Superintendent Bo Caldwell. “We’re very proud of our consistently high graduation rates, which are testaments to the efforts of our students and teachers.”

According to a N.C. Department of Public Instruction news release, the state’s cohort graduation rate has climbed significantly from 68.3 percent in 2006, and students statewide are meeting higher expectations and achieving at higher levels.

“Thirty-five percent of the graduating class has college credit, 140,000 business and industry credentials were earned, and nearly 139,000 students received a diploma endorsement certifying that they achieved a high level of preparation for career, college or both,” Atkinson said in the NCDPI release.

SHARE
About Virginia Daffron
Managing editor, lover of mountains, native of WNC. Follow me @virginiadaffron

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.