According to a report from the Maryland Department of Education, high school graduation rates still remains consistently high.
The report states that the four-year cohort graduation rate was 86.3% in 2022, which is only a minimal decrease compared to 87.2% from the school year prior.
COVID-19 played a huge role in graduation rates, especially with schools closing down during students' 10th grade year and virtual learning was in play up until their senior year.
Although graduation rates remained high, dropout rates also remained constant.
“Our students are resilient and even in the face of a global pandemic, they remained committed to their education and their futures,” said Maryland State Board of Education President Clarence C. Crawford. “We will continue to work to ensure that every Maryland student, regardless of race, income, or background has the support and resources to succeed. I am proud of the work that our districts have put in to ensure our students are career and college ready, especially over the last couple of years; however, it is critical that we continue to improve upon these numbers and give our students every opportunity to thrive."
The DOE also provided the five-year cohort graduation rate in the report. Maryland saw an increase from 88.3% for the 2021 graduates to 89% in 2022.
“We have much more work to do, especially after several years of learning disruption caused by the pandemic,” said State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury. “These numbers affirm the unwavering commitment and active engagement of our teachers and school leaders in leveraging excellent and evidenced-based strategies to help our students realize their full potential. They reflect the resiliency of our students to graduate high school in the face of adversity, but we cannot stop here. We all must continue to focus on equity and excellence, so every student has limitless opportunities and potential for success.”
All Maryland school report card data is available here.
