Howard County Graduation Rate Above State Target

The Howard County Public School System exceeded state graduation rate requirements this year, Superintendent  announced Friday.  

The school system as a whole met required federal academic benchmarks as required by No Child Left Behind across all grade levels.

The progress is measured by standardized math and English test scores achieved by students in grades three through 12. 

Howard County's four-year graduation rate is 89.5 percent, well above the state's target of 81.5 percent, according to a press release from the school system.

The rate reflects the percentage of students who entered high school as freshmen members of the class of 2010 and graduated on schedule. The system's five-year graduation rate of 90.9 percent also exceeded the state's benchmark of 84.4 percent.

Those students entered as freshman with the Class of 2010 and graduated within five years.

"I am extremely pleased to report that our schools are rising to the challenge as targets and expectations are raised," Cousin said in the statement.

While the graduation rate exceeds state expectations, the local school system has established its own goal of 95 percent, and educators and administrators continue to work toward that self-imposed goal, according to Rebecca Amani-Dove, director of student assessment and program evaluation for the school system.