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Clayton County graduation rate rises to 86.3%; district files Cognia mid‑cycle progress report
Summary
The district reported an 86.3% four‑year graduation rate for 2025, a 3.3-point increase from last year, and submitted its Cognia mid‑cycle progress report addressing required improvements in professional learning and mentorship.
Clayton County Public Schools reported a 2025 four‑year cohort graduation rate of 86.3 percent on Sept. 29, an increase of 3.3 percentage points from the previous year, district leaders said.
Why it matters: graduation-rate gains are a primary metric for state accountability and district improvement efforts. Superintendent Anthony Smith and district leaders said the improvement narrowed the gap with the state rate and reflected progress across several student subgroups.
Data and context: Dr. Keith Colbert and Dr. Delphia Young presented the district’s graduation-rate results. Colbert said the 4‑year cohort rate “was 86.3 percent for our 4‑year graduation rate. That reflects a 3.3 point increase from last year.” He also noted the district’s 5‑year cohort figures include students who graduate in the summer, and district leaders praised schools where rates improved.
Subgroups and performance: district staff told the board that multiple subgroups—Black, Hispanic, multiracial, white, economically disadvantaged, English-language learners and students with disabilities—showed improvement and in several cases outpaced statewide trends. Dr. Colbert and colleagues said 7 of 12 schools increased their graduation rates and highlighted sustained 100% rates at selective programs such as Elite Scholars.
Cognia mid‑cycle report: the district also presented its Cognia mid‑cycle progress report, required after the 2023 accreditation review. Dr. Monica Wiley, who led the submission, said Cognia had identified two areas for improvement in 2023—systemwide professional learning for all staff and an external evaluation of the district mentoring program—and that the mid‑cycle document addresses those points. Wiley said, “I feel very honored and pleased that the professional learning department and our research evaluation assessment and accountability department did a very good job on responding to those areas of improvement.”
Board follow-up: members asked for additional school‑level review in places where rates dipped; the district said it will conduct root‑cause analyses for specific schools that declined and return with more targeted data and interventions.
