Duval Graduation Rate Up 3%; Stanton is 100%

Governor Charlie Crist and Education Commissioner Eric Smith recently announced that Duval County's graduation rate rose 3.2 percentage points to 64.5%.

The State of Florida has recently changed the formula for calculating graduating rates, which no longer include GED recipients as graduates. As a result of this new formula, graduation rates are lower than those reported in the past.

"Regardless of the formula used, we are continuing to see an increase in the graduation rate in Duval County," said Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals. "Our teachers are working diligently to increase student achievement, and the increase we are seeing in our graduation rate is a strong indicator of the positive progress our schools are making."

If the newly adopted formula would have been in place last year, the graduation rate would have been 61.3%, rather than the 65.9% as determined by the old formula. Additionally, Stanton College Preparatory was recognized for having 100% of their students graduate in 2009.