41NBC WMGT-DT

ATLANTA (41NBC/WMGT/AP) - Georgia's high school graduation rate has fallen to 67 percent based a new federally mandated calculation.

The state Department of Education released the figure Tuesday morning after months of preparing state lawmakers and other officials for the drop. Under the old calculation, the rate of students receiving diplomas had topped 80 percent, but officials say that number wasn't an accurate picture of Georgia's high school graduates.

Officials say the new formula better accounts for dropouts. The formula divides the number of graduates in a given year by the number of students who enrolled four years earlier.

Below are the gradution rates for school districts in the 41NBC coverage area. In our area, Crawford County had the lowest graduation rate at 42.25%.  Wheeler County had the highest at 87.50%

Governor Nathan Deal announces a new needs-based college scholarship program, to provide the opportunity for college to all Georgians.

The REACH Scholarship's first corporate sponsor is AT&T, which donated $250,000 to the fund.

REACH scholars will be selected in middle school, and must commit to keeping a certain grade average, staying drug and crime free, and meet with a volunteer mentor until high school graduation.
The REACH Scholarship is part of Governor Deal's "Complete College Georgia" initiative.

For more information on the REACH Scholarship, visit gacollege411.org.

PIERRE, S.D.  A measure encouraging South Dakota schools to provide academic instruction on the Bible won final approval Monday from the state Legislature despite criticism from some lawmakers that it could blur the line between government and religion.

The Senate voted 25-10 to pass the non-binding resolution, which has no force of law. The House passed the measure last week. State Sen. Elizabeth Kraus said students need to learn about the Bible because it permeates culture, laws and literature. She said many young people know very little about the Bible, and schools can provide instruction on it without promoting religion.

 But Sen. Tom Hansen said he opposes the measure because it could get government involved in religious issues.

A new national survey shows a startling trend among middle and high school students.

The report details the prevalence of sexual harassment among 7th through 12th graders.

The research, conducted by the American Association of University Women, surveyed nearly 2,000 students in May and June of this year and found 48% of kids reported being sexually harassed.

87% of those said it had a negative effect on them.

The survey revealed a kind of disconnect among students who admitted sexually harassing others.

44% said they didn't think it was a big deal.

39% percent said they were just trying to be funny.

Educators and advocates aren't laughing and say parents need to be aware sexual harassment isn't just a grown-up problem.

As part of the survey researchers also asked students for ideas to reduce sexual harassment in their schools.

The top recommendation: Creating a process that allows students to anonymously report problems.

ATLANTA - Georgia fourth- and eighth-graders are performing only slightly better than they did two years ago on national reading and math exams, and most of the students tested continue to lag the national average in both subjects.

The data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation's Report Card, was released Tuesday morning. The results show that only Georgia fourth-graders matched the national average with 32 percent passing muster on the reading test.

The rest of students in the state trail the nation. The largest gap is in eighth-grade math, where 28 percent of Georgia students were proficient, compared to 34 percent for the nation.

On the reading test, 28 percent of the state's eighth-graders met standards, compared to 32 percent for the nation.