Schools

FCPS Has Nation's Highest Graduation Rate

Education Week report shows district has the highest graduation percentage among country's 50 largest school districts.

Fairfax County Public Schools ranks first in high school graduation rates for the class of 2010 among the 50 largest school districts in the United States, according to a new national report by Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center. 

FCPS posted a graduation rate of 85 percent, more than 10 points higher than the national public school graduation rate of 74.7 percent, FCPS said in a news release.

The rate for Virginia was 77.5 percent.

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“Excellent teachers, supportive parents, and highly effective school leaders are the driving force behind student success,”  Fairfax County School Board chair Ilryong Moon said in a statement.

“The Education Week report is a reflection of the support and direction our teachers provide all of our students, giving them the opportunity to reach their full potential.  As a school division, we continue to drive resources into the classroom and, as a result, our students continue to excel."

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Moon says FCPS, like most districts, have challenges that it will continue to face.

"We remain committed to maintaining excellence in the face of growing enrollment, changing educational expectations, and diminishing resources." he said. "While I am grateful to know that FCPS has the highest graduation rate, we still have more work to do and we can do better.”

The Education Week report cites strong gains nationally for historically underserved groups, including African American and Latino students, as driving the increase. Nationwide, the graduation rate rose 1.9 percentage points from 2009 to 2010, the third consecutive year of increases.

Graduation rates from the Virginia Department of Education are scheduled to be released in October.


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