FCPS Graduation Rates Remain Strong for the Class of 2022
After seeing record high rates last year, the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Class of 2022 continued to report strong on-time graduation rates at 94.2 percent, according to data released today from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). This year’s overall on-time graduation rate is only 0.4 points less than the division’s 94.6 percent high in 2021, reflecting continued success with a larger and more diverse senior class.
Additionally, five-year trends in FCPS on-time graduation rates show substantial success in closing achievement gaps. As depicted in the table below, each of the student groups with outcomes below the division average (Hispanic, Economically Disadvantaged, and English Learners) has shown 5-year gains that outpace other student groups, serving to narrow outcome gaps. The Hispanic student group has seen the largest such improvements since 2018, with an 8.9-point gain in on-time graduates. Moreover, for the fourth year in a row, Students with Disabilities graduated at rates higher than the division average.
|
Student Group |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
Change* |
|
All |
91.5% |
91.3% |
93.0% |
94.6% |
94.2% |
+ 2.7 |
|
Asian |
97.8% |
97.8% |
98.3% |
98.8% |
98.6% |
+ 0.8 |
|
Black |
93.7% |
93.2% |
95.9% |
96.2% |
96.0% |
+ 2.3 |
|
Hispanic |
74.0% |
74.6% |
79.2% |
83.8% |
82.9% |
+ 8.9 |
|
Multiple Races |
96.5% |
96.4% |
97.6% |
98.3% |
97.8% |
+ 1.3 |
|
White |
97.8% |
98.1% |
98.6% |
98.6% |
98.7% |
+ 0.9 |
|
Economically Disadvantaged |
86.5% |
86.2% |
89.9% |
93.2% |
91.1% |
+ 4.6 |
|
English Learners |
67.2% |
67.4% |
72.5% |
76.7% |
72.8% |
+ 5.6 |
|
Students with Disabilities |
91.5% |
92.1% |
94.9% |
95.0% |
95.0% |
+ 3.5 |
* Positive change in On-Time Graduation Rate demonstrates progress toward a goal of 100 percent.
FCPS also saw a continued increase in the proportion of graduates earning Advanced Studies diplomas to 68.6 percent overall in 2022, with a 0.4-point gain from 2021 and 1.5-point gain in Advanced Studies since 2018. The expansion of Advanced Studies diplomas was most striking for students in the Black (2.1-point increase from 2021 and 7.3-point increase from 2018) and Students with Disabilities (3.0-point increase from 2021 and 6.3-point increase from 2022) groups.
The positive trends for FCPS on-time graduation reflect the impact of long-term programmatic reforms, targeted school support structures, staffing investments, and intentional student engagement and intervention strategies. Additionally, graduation rates in 2022 continued to benefit from state flexibilities introduced for students enrolled during COVID school closures and virtual learning. Though fewer flexibilities were available for the Class of 2022 than the previous cohort, schools were successful in leveraging those remaining to reduce barriers and support students toward graduation.
With a continued roll-back expected in state graduation flexibilities over the coming years, FCPS must commit to further strengthening systematic actions geared to support graduation outcomes. Furthermore, FCPS must take greater strides to partner with students and families to pave a road for each student to reach their goals for success after high school.
Detailed on-time graduation information for the division and individual schools can be accessed through the “College and Career Readiness” tab within the Virginia School Quality Profiles and the Virginia Cohort Reports issued annually by the VDOE.
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For more information, contact the FCPS Office of Communication and Community Relations at 571-423-1200.
