CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More students are graduating high school in West Virginia.
Both the four year and five year graduations rates have increased from 2013-2020, according to new reports from the state Department of Education.
The four-year graduation rate increased from 81.39% in 2013 to 91.12% in 2021, an increase of almost 10 percentage points.
The five-year rate jumped from 81.4% in 2013 to 91.67% in 2020. That rate has continued to increase by more than one percentage point from 2020-2021. The four-year rate decreased by slightly less than one percentage point from 2020.
Michele Blatt, deputy state superintendent of schools, said the rates can be improved if school districts work to gain a better understanding of why students want to drop out.
“We really started asking our counties to not think of these as numbers anymore. We actually printed out lists and had them look at names and put a face to the name and really turned in to a relationship building process,” Blatt said.
WVDE data showed more girls graduate high school compared to boys.
Blatt said graduation rates are a good indicator for school performance and that understanding the rates is important for examining student success and readiness for education or careers after high school.