November 28, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
For the second year in a row the DeKalb County School District’s graduation rate dropped in 2020-21 thanks again to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data released by the Tennessee Department of Education, 83.6% of DeKalb County high school students graduated on time in 2020-21, a drop of 8.3% from the 91.9% graduation rate the previous year (2019-20) and down from 94.4% in 2018-19. The rate was 93.7% in 2017-18. The DeKalb County graduation rate for 2020-21 was also below the state’s graduation rate of 88.7%.
According to the Tennessee Department of Education, of the 2020-21 cohort, 88.7% of students graduated on time this year statewide compared to 89.6% last year, 37 districts improved their graduation rates, and 37 districts graduated 95% or more of their cohorts.
As the COVID-19 pandemic spanned the entirety of the 2020-21 academic year, the department offered several interventions to mitigate learning loss and provide necessary student supports to ensure they were prepared for graduation and postsecondary success, such as summer programming, free ACT prep workshops, and AP Access for All.
“Our state remains committed to swift and urgent action to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 on our students,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “The department was prepared for the negative impacts of the pandemic on our statewide graduation rate, but we are confident that with the right investment and the partnership and dedication of our districts and schools, we can resume the upward trajectory in graduation rate and ensure we are preparing Tennessee students for success.”