CHARLESTON, W.Va. –West Virginia’s 2024-25 graduation rate is the highest on record, according to the West Virginia Department of Education.
The statewide rate reached 92.8% for the most recent graduating class.
State Superintendent Michele Blatt said the increase is largely tied to the state’s focus on reducing chronic absenteeism. Blatt discussed the trend during a recent appearance on MetroNews Midday.
She said education officials began examining assessment data several years ago to measure how chronic absenteeism affected student performance in English language arts and math. When chronically absent students were removed from the data, Blatt said results showed increases ranging from 5% or 6% to as much as 25%, depending on grade level and subject area.
“So, I think one of the big things is focused on the chronic absenteeism and the impact it’s made across the state,” Blatt said.
Blatt said schools have worked to address barriers that keep students from attending class, including transportation, access to laundry services and eyewear. She said those supports help students attend school consistently and perform better academically.
She also pointed to the Community in Schools program, which began in 2018 and places site coordinators in schools to connect students with needed resources. Blatt said the program allows teachers to spend more time teaching.
“I think all of these things coming together- we’re starting to see the benefit of it,” Blatt said.
Blatt said the state has seen a significant increase in graduation rates over the past 13 years. In the 2012-13 school year, when the Class of 2025 entered kindergarten, the graduation rate was 81.4%, representing an 11.4% increase
“We’ve seen a huge increase over that time that our 2025 graduates have been in school,” she said.
The department also reported that the five-year cohort graduation rate remained unchanged from last year at 93.4%.