Jones High School faculty and staff broke out in cheers when Superintendent Ronald Blocker told them their school’s 2009-2010 graduation rate. They were gathered in a room for a news conference held on Thursday, November 18, 2010, to hear the district’s graduation rate . When they heard Jones High had graduated 93.7 percent of their 2010 seniors, the noise was deafening.
Jones raised their graduation rate an impressive 17.1 percentage points over 2009 and beat the district and state averages (79.0) by almost 14 points. Jones joined Timber Creek, University, Winter Park, Olympia, and Boone high schools in surpassing the 90 percent level.
District 5 School Board Member Kathleen “Kat” Gordon charged into the conference room with a box of roses, exclaiming “Go Tigers. You’re the best.” That set the tone for a jubilant news conference held by Superintendent Blocker with School Board Chairman Bill Sublette, and board members Gordon, Nancy Robbinson and Daryl Flynn.
Superintendent Ronald Blocker applauded the district’s 3.1 percentage point rise over last year and singled out several schools, including Oak Ridge and Evans, which raised their rates by even more. The OCPS graduation rate has increased 9.3 percent since 2006-07.
Jones High, once a school with a discouraging record of academic performance, has risen quickly in the last four years. They have become a magnet school for an International Baccalaureate program and have raised their graduation rate four consecutive years. The superb graduation rate bodes well for their 2010 school grade, which will be issued by the state after the Thanksgiving holidays.
Superintendent Ronald Blocker said, “The 2009-2010 graduation rate for the district and for almost every single high school proves we are moving in the right direction in regards to the district’s vision, to be the top producer of successful students in the nation.”
| Schools with greatest increase from previous year | ||
| High School | 2009-2010 | Change |
| Jones High | 93.7% | up 17.1% |
| Apopka High | 89.9% | up 9.4% |
| Oak Ridge High | 78.9% | up 7.6% |
| Edgewater High | 81.4% | up 5.6% |
| Olympia High | 95.2% | up 5.5% |
| Evans High | 79.4% | up 5.4% |
| University High | 91.1% | up 5.0% |
Of the 17 traditional high schools in OCPS who had a graduation rate, five high schools earned 90 percent and above.
| Highest graduation rates in the district | |
| High School | 2009-2010 |
| Timber Creek High | 96.1% |
| Olympia High | 95.2% |
| Jones High | 93.7% |
| University High | 91.1% |
| Winter Park High | 90.6% |
Other school graduation rates: Boone 87.6 percent, Colonial 81.9 percent, Cypress Creek 86.0 percent, Dr. Phillips 83.8 percent, Freedom, 89.5 percent, Ocoee 88.5 percent, and West Orange 86.0 percent. New high schools (Wekiva, Lake Nona and East River) had 12 students or less in their graduating classes.
The National Governors Association (NGA) Graduation Rate is the official method used in the calculation of school grades. The graduation rates show the percent of students who graduated within four years of their initial entry into Grade 9. Certificate of Completion and GED recipients are not counted as graduates using the NGA method. Calculation of the graduation rate is based on students completing high school in four years. All students in the calculation for 2009-10 must have entered Grade 9 for the first time in the fall of 2006. Students who have not completed graduation requirements may need a fifth year to graduate. They are considered non-graduates and are not counted in the following year’s graduation rate because they are not members of the original cohort.
