BCPS Reports Graduation Rate Increases in 2023

The four-year cohort graduation rate for Baltimore County Public Schools students rose to
84.9 percent, according to data recently released by the Maryland State Department of Education. The
graduation rate for the Class of 2023 increased by nearly half a percentage point from the previous
year’s rate of 84.5 percent. The graduation rate for students across the state is 85.8 percent, down from 86.3 percent in the prior
year.

“We are starting to see encouraging trends in our graduation data and believe that the targeted
strategies and supports we put in place in partnership with high school leaders over the last few years
are making a difference,” BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers said.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of the Class of 2023 and are intensifying our efforts to ensure that we meet the needs of all students and prepare them to graduate and successfully pursue careers and higher education.”

MSDE released the four-year and five-year graduation rate calculations for all school systems and schools
in the state of Maryland. The most recent data is for graduates who entered high school during the
2019-2020 school year (the Class of 2023). The BCPS five-year graduation rate for the Class of 2022 is
86.4 percent. The dropout rate for the Class of 2023 is 11.2 percent.

The four-year graduation rate improved for students who are economically disadvantaged. The rate rose
to 75.2 percent, a one-year increase of .48 percentage points. The graduation rates for students
receiving special education services also improved, rising to 72 percent which is a one-year increase of
2.9 percentage points. The dropout rate for students receiving special education services decreased by
0.6 percentage points from 2022 to 2023.

Among schools, the biggest gain was at Randallstown High School for the second year in a row. The
graduation rate increased by 6.1 percentage points from last year to 94.2 percent. Owings Mills High
School’s graduation rate rose to 72.8 percent, a 4.6 percentage point increase over the last year.
School Results Among other highlights of school performance:

• The highest graduation rates for the Class of 2023 were at Eastern Technical High School (100
percent); George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology (99.1 percent); Herford High
School (98.8 percent); Western School of Technology (97.7 percent); and Towson High School
(96.1 percent).

• Fourteen high schools (Chesapeake, Eastern, Franklin, Hereford, Loch Raven, Milford Mill, New
Town, Owings Mills, Patapsco, Randallstown, Sparrows Point, Towson High, Western School of Technology, and Woodlawn) saw an increase in their graduation rate.

• Seven high schools (Eastern Technical, Franklin, Hereford, Loch Raven, Owings Mills, Sparrows
Point
, and Towson) saw a decrease in their dropout rate.

B.J. Joseph

Benjamin Joesph has covered news in Eastern Baltimore County since 2006. He started as a reporter with the original East County Times in 2006. He started East Baltco News and later Eastcountytimes.com in 2022.