DERIDDER, La. -- This is a press release previously issued from the Beauregard Parish School Board, Public Information Officer, Kari Ifland.
The Louisiana Department of education released the 2018 Cohort data for graduation rates which shows Beauregard Parish has once again maintained a graduation rate above 90 percent. Kim Hayes, Director of Curriculum, provided insight by saying, "Achieving a high graduation rates is a top priority for Beauregard Parish Schools." 
The 2018 graduating class in Beauregard Parish had a 93.5 percent graduation rate. This rate places Beauregard Parish well above the reported 2017 National Graduation rate of 84.6%.
The Department of Education has set a goal of all districts achieving a 90 percent graduation rate or higher by 2025. Louisiana uses a Cohort Completion Rate analysis which tracks students entering the ninth grade through graduation. For the current standings, information was compiled over a four-year period beginning with the 2014-2015 school year and ending in the spring of 2018.
Students who entered high school as first-time freshmen in the fall of 2014 were tracked through the time of graduation. A graduate is defined as a student who received a high school diploma in four years.
Hayes added, "This is the thirteenth year that the state has issued graduation rate data," she continued, "and Beauregard Parish has been in the top ten highest scores each of those thirteen years. In addition, we have maintained a graduation rate above 90 percent for six consecutive years."
Graduation rates are used in the Department of Education's evaluation of high schools, counting for 25 percent of the School Performance Score. The overall graduation rate for the state was 81.4 percent.
"The goal of the Beauregard Parish school system is to provide excellence in education with a mission to graduate students who are prepared to meet the challenges of post-secondary education and careers," Hayes continued.
"Graduation is the definitive goal of our school system and the result of determination for students, teachers, parents, and administrators. We will continue to provide every opportunity to help our students attain their high school diploma and prepare them for a successful future," Hayes concluded.
