Md. school officials target class of 2012 to improve graduation rate

Maryland school officials already are focusing on saving potential dropouts in the class of 2012, as the class of 2009 prepares to graduate.

In Montgomery County, about 9 percent of eighth-graders and 17 percent of ninth-graders were ineligible for extracurricular activities three out of four quarters last school year, putting them in a high-risk category for leaving school altogether, according to a district report.