Bibb County Graduation Rates Sharply Increase

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bibb County School System is celebrating big news tonight: the graduation rate made huge gains.

According to the Georgia Department of Education, Bibb County’s rate went up by a significant amount from 2012 to 2013.

The District’s 2013 4-year graduation rate was 61.1 percent, which is up from 52.3 percent in 2012.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Steve Smith tells us getting more kids to get their diploma was a collaborative effort that started with changing graduation.

“I think the methodology we’re using today with the four year cohort rate–we have converted from the Georgia High School Graduation Test into the End of Course Test,” said Smith. “That has given more students an opportunity to pass because their failure or lack of graduation is not dependent on one test–it’s dependent on a series of things that are embedded through several courses as opposed to one course.”

Smith thinks the extra personal time teachers spent with students also affected the surge in the rate.

Hutchings Career Center was the only school that saw a decrease from 2012.