Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) saw a rise in its graduation rate, with 91.8% of the Class of 2024 earning their diplomas in four years, according to the Maryland State Department of Education.
This marks a 2.2% increase from the previous year and is 4.3% higher than the state average of 87.6%.
Significant gains were made by Hispanic/Latino students, whose graduation rate increased by 6.6%, and multilingual learners, whose rate rose by 12%.
However, some groups saw declines, including students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), which dropped by 2.8%, students identifying as Two or More Races (down 2.2 percentage points), and White students, whose rate decreased by 0.6 percentage points.
MCPS Superintendent Thomas W. Taylor highlighted the progress among multilingual learners.
“While we celebrate the significant strides made, especially for our multilingual learners and Hispanic/Latino students, the declines we’ve seen in certain groups are a stark reminder that our work is far from over,” Taylor said. “Living our values, including our commitment to excellence, demands that we confront these disparities head-on, with unwavering resolve. We are not just aiming for improvement; we are committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of their background or challenges, has the opportunity to thrive and graduate prepared for a future of success.”
The superintendent’s budget includes additional support for schools with special education and multilingual programs, including the addition of 689 educator positions, emergent multilingual learner services, and material resources for schools based on the number of students in programs like FARMS (Free and Reduced-price Meals System).
Key Improvements:
•Overall graduation rate: Up 2.2%
•Multilingual learners: Up 12%
•Hispanic/Latino students: Up 6.6%
•Students receiving FARMS services: Up 4.6%
Notable School Gains:
•Watkins Mill High School: Up 11.0%
•Northwood High School: Up 8.2%
•Montgomery Blair High School: Up 6.5%
•Gaithersburg High School: Up 5.6%
•Sherwood High School: Up 5.6%
•Albert Einstein High School: up 4.8%
•Wheaton High School: up 4.4%
