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Schools in the District saw a 2% increase in graduation rate for the 2021-22 school year.

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) announced a 2% increase in the four-year graduation rate for the 2021-22 school year. According to OSSE data, 74.9% of students in District of Columbia high schools graduated in four years compared to 72.6% the prior school year.

OSSE also released the 2022 DC School Report Card, which includes the graduation rate, school finance, attendance, as well as several other measures. The DC School Report Card can be accessed at osse.dc.gov/dcschoolreportcard. 

“We know that graduating from high school is a key part of a DC students’ pathway to success – whether they go to college or pursue a career,” said State Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant. “We’re proud of this fourth straight year of growth, and continue to focus on how we can reimagine the high school experience to provide learning environments that prepare our students for life after high school.”

Both DC Public Schools (DCPS) and the public charter school sector saw increases. The four-year graduation rate for DCPS is 72.5%, an increase of roughly 2% for the 2021-22 school year. The four-year graduation rate for public charter schools is 80.1%, an increase of 3%.

“We are glad to see a positive trend in our graduation rate,” said Superintendent Grant. “We remain focused on ensuring that every student in the District of Columbia graduates from high school prepared to thrive in their choices of colleges and careers, particularly students who are struggling to attend school every day or have disengaged completely. We have a lot of work to do to ensure that all students have what they need to be successful.”

Under Mayor Bowser’s leadership, the District has invested more than $30 million in recovery dollars to reimaging the high school experience and expanding experience-based learning opportunities. This includes a $9 million recovery investment in the Advanced Technical Center (ATC), a centralized program which gives students access to career and technical courses to prepare them for high-wage, high-skill and in-demand careers. Collectively, the investments aim to increase student engagement and provide a clear pathway from high school—to attending college or pursuing a career. 

The four-year adjusted cohort consisted of 4,475 students who entered ninth grade in the 2018-19 school year. Of those students, 3,350 graduated high school by spring 2022. Since OSSE began using the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate in the 2010-11 school year, the graduation rate for the District of Columbia has increased by 16%, as demonstrated by the table below.

District of Columbia Statewide 4-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate

School Year	Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate
2021-22	74.9%
2020-21	72.6%
2019-20	70.9%
2018-19	68.2%
2017-18	68.5%
2016-17	72.4%
2015-16	69.2%
2014-15	65.4%
2013-14	61.4%
2012-13	61.5%
2011-12	61%
2010-11	58.6%

The graduation rate for students who identify as African-American/Black increased by roughly 2.9% to 73.6%. The graduation rate for students with disabilities increased 4.5% to 58.1%, and students identified as at-risk increased 1% to 63.2%. Graduation rates for Hispanic/Latino students dropped by 1.4% to 68.4%, and the rate for English learners dropped 5.4%.

DC’s four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate exceeds the District’s overall 2022 goal of 72.6% graduation rate in DC’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state plan.

DC uses the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR), a federally required methodology used by all states, to maintain a consistent standard for high school graduation rate reporting. Under the ACGR, a cohort of students who entered school as first-time ninth graders in the 2018-19 school year was tracked for four years to determine the total number of students who graduated from high school in the 2021-22 school year with a regular diploma.

For more information on the District’s four-year ACGR, visit OSSE’s website.