For the 10th consecutive year, Frederick County Public Schools’ on-time graduation rate has exceeded the state’s average on-time graduation rate. According to the Virginia Department of Education, the on-time graduate rate for members of Frederick County Public Schools’ Class of 2022 was 94.6 percent compared to Virginia’s on-time graduation rate of 92.1 percent. This also marks the fourth consecutive year the school division’s on-time graduation rate has climbed. The rate for the Class of 2019 was 92.8 percent. The rate increased to 93.3 percent in 2020 and 93.7 percent in 2021.

Interim Schools Superintendent John Lamanna says, “The Frederick County community should take great pride in its school division as well as the teachers, administrators and support staff who serve our students and their families each day. To have a nearly 95 percent on-time graduation rate despite the many challenges faced over the past few years due to the pandemic reflects not only the perseverance of students and their families, but also the perseverance of teachers and staff.” Lamanna adds, “Since 2011 when high schools had to meet an annual benchmark for graduation and completion in order to earn state accreditation, Frederick County Public Schools has seen its on-time graduation rate climb from about 85 percent to nearly 95 percent. Providing meaningful and engaging learning experiences to all students has been part of that growth. Another important factor has been a focus on developing relationships with students and their families in order to better identify individual student needs and help them overcome any challenges that may make earning a diploma within four years of entering the ninth grade difficult.”

In addition to the school division’s on-time graduation rate exceeding the state’s rate, the on-time graduation rate for each of Frederick County’s three high schools also exceeded the state average. The 2022 on-time graduation rate for James Wood High School was 94.7 percent, the rate for Millbrook High School was 93.5 percent and the rate for Sherando High School was 95.8 percent.

The Virginia On-Time Graduation Rate is calculated by dividing the number of students in the cohort earning a Virginia Board of Education-approved diploma in 2022 (or earlier) by the number of students who entered the ninth grade for the first time in 2018-19 (plus transfers inminus transfers out). Unlike estimated graduation rates, the Virginia On-Time Graduation Rate takes into consideration student mobility, changes in enrollment, and promotion and retention policies and decisions. The Virginia On-Time Graduation Rate also provides flexibility for students with disabilities and English Language Learners who are reported as on-time graduates regardless of when they earn a diploma. For example, a student with disabilities who entered the ninth grade for the first time in 2016-17 and graduated in June 2022 would be assigned to the 2018-19 ninth grade cohort and counted as an on-time graduate.

The dropout rate for Frederick County Public Schools’ Class of 2022 was 3.3 percent.The dropout rate represents all students in a particular cohort who have not graduated or completed a credential and have discontinued school. Virginia’s dropout rate for the 2022 cohort was 5.2 percent.