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SMCPS reports slight dip in 4‑year graduation rate for SY 2024; gaps narrowing over decade
Summary
District staff presented SY 2024 four‑year graduation rates, noting a small decline of less than half a percentage point from 2023 but long‑term progress in closing subgroup gaps; presenters emphasized embargo timing and that 5‑year and certificate completions are excluded from the presented 4‑year rates.
District staff presented preliminary four‑year graduation rates for the 2024 cohort at the March 12 Saint Mary's County Board of Education meeting, saying the SY 2024 rate fell slightly from 2023 but remains above the 2022 level.
“Graduation rates did decrease slightly, but it was by less than half of a percentage point from SY 23,” the presenter, identified in the agenda as Ms. Burr, told the board. She said the data had been embargoed until presentation to the State Board of Education on Feb. 25, and the slides covered only four‑year graduation rates and historical trends—not five‑year completions or certificates of completion.
Ms. Burr said roughly 5 percent or fewer of district students historically earn a certificate of completion in lieu of a diploma; per Maryland State Department of Education suppression rules, those small counts are not reported in the displayed data. The presenter also noted that many students in the SY 2024 cohort were freshmen during the COVID‑19 disruptions and that is relevant to outcomes for that cohort.
The board was shown disaggregated subgroup trends. Between 2023 and 2024, the gap between African American students and white students narrowed by about 1.19 percentage points, the presenter said. The presenter also reported a slight drop in the four‑year graduation rate for students with disabilities, but added that the subgroup’s four‑year rate remained about 5.8 percentage points higher than the state average.
Board members asked staff to continue analyzing the underlying causes of subgroup gaps and to bring forward strategies to close them. A board member emphasized attendance as the single greatest determinant of on‑time graduation and urged families to ensure students attend school regularly.
The presenter said the district will provide further analysis and strategies in forthcoming reports; the four‑year figures presented do not include five‑year graduates or certificate recipients.
