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DECA Program Boasts Highest Grad Rate in DeKalb

05/22/2013  

For Immediate Release

DeKalb Early College Academy, a joint venture between Georgia Perimeter College and DeKalb County School District, has the highest graduation rate among high schools in DeKalb County, according to a state report.

The Georgia Department of Education released the 2012 four-year cohort graduation rates for all state schools, and DECA has a graduation rate of 94.74 percent. That’s compared to the state average of 69.72 percent. 

DECA allows college-ready high school students from underrepresented groups to spend their first two years of high school at DECA in Stone Mountain and their upperclassmen years at GPC Clarkston Campus. These students earn high school and college credits simultaneously through dual enrollment.

Early college students are not required to complete an associate degree, but they all graduate from high school with some college credits in the bank. This May, 18 DECA students graduated with associate degrees before being awarded their high school diplomas.

“The program’s success can be attributed to the collaboration that takes place among the program partners including: DeKalb Early College Academy, DeKalb County School District, Georgia Perimeter College, University System of Georgia, parents and students.  Setting the students’ sights on college early and giving the students the tools to be successful makes graduation from high school an expected and attainable result,” said Kathryn Hall, GPC’s DECA program coordinator. “I applaud all of our efforts, and I look forward to providing continued support for the students’ current and future academic progress.”

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Georgia Perimeter College, the largest state college of the University System of Georgia, serves approximately 23,000 students through four campuses and several sites in metro Atlanta. For additional information, visit www.gpc.edu.