Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

For more than 100 years, Harlan High School has been equipping students to compete among Kentucky’s best and brightest as they enter college. Recently released data from the Kentucky High School Feedback report illustrates that the class of 2017 find themselves at the top of an impressive list.

Ranked No. 1 among Kentucky Schools, Harlan High School students had the highest Grade Point Average (GPA) among all Kentucky schools after their first year of college. HHS students achieved an average GPA of 3.08 to top all Kentucky schools. The average GPA for Kentucky high schools was 2.38 according to the data published by the KYstats.

KYstats develops reports and provides statistical data so policymakers, agencies, and the general public can make better informed decisions about the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s education systems and training programs. KYstats was created in 2012 to expand upon the work of the Kentucky P-20 Data Collaborative, including maintaining the Kentucky Longitudinal Data System (KLDS), a statewide longitudinal data system that facilitates the integration of data from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB), the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA), and the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

In addition to having the highest GPA among first year college students, the report also shows that Harlan High students tied with Beechwood Independent for the highest number of college credit hours earned after their first year of college with 26. The average number of college hours earned by Kentucky students is 19.

Superintendent C.D. Morton stated, “The class of 2017 is one of the most competitive classes we have seen in recent years, they are certainly on the right path for the future. Having a son in that class, I can attest that they put in the work while in High School to make this kind of success a reality. We stress to all of our students the importance developing good habits that are necessary to carry over into the next phase of their lives.”

“In addition to the small class sizes, the culture we have from Sunshine Preschool through High School plays a major role in the kinds of results our students achieve. The core of our mission is to prepare our graduates so they can compete successfully in the workplace and life. This kind of data reaffirms the value of the work we do in our classrooms. Quality education should be challenging, the fruits of that labor are well worth the effort,” Morton noted.

KYstats utilizes data from various system to link high school and college data together to better understand how high school experiences affect college going and success. Information from the website states that the data provides much richer information about college preparation back to high schools as well as to colleges in order to improve alignment between the two areas. The Kentucky High School Feedback report provides data for in-state college going students and is updated annually with the most recent data from the class of 2017.

To review information among Kentucky High Schools and first year college success metrics, visit https://kystats.ky.gov/Latest/HSFR.