The graduation rates at Guam’s public school system has reached a nine-year high, according to education officials.
During a presentation at the Rotary Club of Northern Guam, education superintendent Jon Fernandez reported that the department’s graduation rate reached 86.8 percent in School Year 2018-2019. The number grew by 2.3 percent over the previous year’s rates of 84.5 percent.
Compared to 8 years ago, graduation rates also increased by 17.8 percent. It was at 69 percent in School Year 2010-2011, according to the GDOE presentation on graduation rates.
“When I started in 2012, and in that first year, 2013 numbers, we were still in our 68 percent in our cohort graduation rate at that time…since then, the numbers have steadily risen — it was a surprise to me — but it rose to 86.8 percent in the last year,” Fernandez said.
He added: “We are proud of that progress. I think we can say that this did not happen by accident but I think, what’s really nice about being here in the last few years, is seeing the work that has been done in the classroom, in the school level, and at the central school level to try to support collaboration across the school system.”
GDOE also said it has exceeded its State Strategic Plan goal of reaching an 80 percent graduation rate by 2020.
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