When it comes to tossing caps in the air, Montgomery County Public Schools is once again No. 1.
The local school system has the highest graduation rate, at 87.6 percent, of the 50 largest school districts in the nation. It’s Montgomery’s fourth consecutive year in the top spot, while across-the-Potomac rival Fairfax County ranked second, with 85.5 percent of seniors graduating, according to the annual “Diplomas Count” report, published by Education Week.
“Th[e] report demonstrates our students’ determination to be ready for the opportunities that lie beyond graduation and our continued commitment to support them,” said Shirley Brandman, president of Montgomery’s school board.
Prince William County’s public school system came in at 13th among the 50 largest districts, while Prince George’s County’s schools ranked 28th. No other local districts were sizable enough to be included in the rankings.
Education Week uses the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics, meaning this year’s data is from the class of 2009.
Montgomery County’s graduation rate in 2009 was nearly 2 percentage points higher than calculated in 2008.
Nationally, the graduation rate was 72.7 percent.
