UPDATED: Winder-Barrow Identified as 'Focus School' Due to Gap in Graduation Rates of Highest and Lowest Achieving Students

CLARIFICATION: The Barrow County School System has clarified the reason one of its two high schools has been identified as a "focus school" by the Georgia Department of Education.

"The reason for the Focus School designation for Winder-Barrow High School is due to its graduation gap between it's white subgroup and the Students With Disability subgroup," Superintendent Wanda Creel wrote in an e-mail to Barrow Patch.

Creel said Winder-Barrow High School's graduation rate was 71.6 percent in 2010 and 76.4 percent in 2011. She noted the overall net gain of almost 5 percent in one year. 

Do you feel better about Winder-Barrow High School's graduation rate, given it IS NOT less than 60 percent? Is 76.4 percent an acceptable rate? Tell us in comments.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

One of Barrow County's two public high schools has been identified by the Georgia Department of Education as a "focus school".

Winder-Barrow High School is one of 156 schools statewide with graduation rates of less than 60 percent over two years or with large gaps between the highest and lowest achieving subgroup of students.

The schools are one step above the state's worst performing schools — termed "priority schools". A list of those schools was released last week and no Barrow County school was included. 

Georgia schools are categorized under a new accountability system after the state was one of 10 to receive waivers last month from the federal No Child Left Behind law.

What do you think faculty and staff can do to improve the school's graduation rate? Tell us in comments.