Grady Talks and Graduation Rates

Grady Talks is a growing group of Atlanta business professionals who are committed to helping high school students get career-focused.  Some  have suggested that getting career-focused may increase a student's chance of finishing school.
  
Along the way we learned about the problem of high dropout rates, especially among minority students.   We read that the leading cause of dropping out is the feeling that "Classes are Not Interesting."  And, we've heard frustration that there has been no consistency in the way numbers are reported.


Here are were things are in Georgia.  We found that there are three common ways to compute graduation rates.

• The Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate  (Georgia Rate for 2007-08: 65.4%)
• The “Leaver” Method (Georgia Rate for 2009-10: 80.8% )
• The Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (To Be Used for 2010-2011)

Georgia used the lever rate to calculate the numbers and the Governor has praised the 80.8% rate released last October.  But now, the state has changed their reporting method to be consistant with other states and some fear the new graduation rate will not look as favorable.