October 15, 2026 — From graduation rates and state assessment results to college entrance exams, the Cobb County School District continues to demonstrate strong student outcomes across a variety of measures. During the October Board of Education meeting, district leaders shared a comprehensive look at student achievement and the measures that help ensure students are prepared for success beyond the classroom.

The District's Chief Strategy and Accountability Officer, John Floresta, presented the most recent data, which shows Cobb students leading the way in ACT and SAT scores, Georgia Milestones assessments, and graduation rates. 

“Educators and Cobb’s parents care about what students know and what they need to know, not formulas. Cobb’s scores are strong, and along with our partners at the State, are looking for better ways to communicate what families ultimately care about: what their child knows,” said Floresta.

Cobb students continued to demonstrate strong performance on the 2025-2026 Georgia Milestones assessments, with 82.1% of students achieving Developing Learner level or above across Levels 2 through 4, the highest percentage among the metro-area districts.

The District graduation rates also demonstrate the importance of students' continued connection to their schools throughout high school.

For the Class of 2026, the district's four-year graduation rate reached 90.9%, up from 89.2% in 2025. However, that statistic jumps to 99.2% for students enrolled in Cobb Schools for all four years of high school.

Cobb students also continued to perform well on college entrance examinations.

For the 2025-2026 school year, Cobb students earned an average SAT score of 1,116 out of 1,600, ahead of the state average of 1,031 and the national average of 1,011. Cobb's average also exceeded the results reported for Marietta City, Fulton, Gwinnett, Atlanta, and DeKalb in the presentation.

On the ACT, Cobb students earned an average composite score of 23.7 out of 36 for the 2024-2025 school year. That result was above Georgia's average of 21.4 and the national average of 19.4.

Investing in Educators Through Georgia’s BEST

Student outcomes are closely connected to the educators who teach students every day. Cobb continues to invest more than 2 million dollars per year in the recruitment and retention initiative that has filled every Cobb classroom with a high-quality teacher.

Through its partnership with the University of West Georgia, Georgia's BEST provides Cobb educators with the opportunity to earn advanced degrees at no cost to them. In its third year, the program has enrolled 1,576 educators since its 2023 launch, including 824 graduates and 752 educators still enrolled.

The program also supports educator retention, with 99% of participating Cobb educators staying in the district and over 55,000 applications to work in Cobb this past school year.

West Georgia College of Education Dean Mike Dishman said, “The Georgia Professional Standards Commission reports there are 5,000 open positions in Georgia’s classrooms, in the middle of the school year. The Department of Education made it one of its legislative priorities for the second year in a row. You have built the solution to this problem, and you’ve proven it. As recently as today, Senator Greg Dolezal talked about the severity of the problem across the state and how this program could solve it.”

With statewide attention growing, Mr. Floresta pointed to the results Cobb is already seeing.

Mr. Floresta continued, “We have seen the impact in Cobb, with a relatively small investment of 7,000 dollars per educator, providing a return in 1,500 paychecks and classrooms. It’s encouraging when policymakers who understand education and are committed to action support better options for both educators and families.”

See Superintendent Chris Ragsdale's full remarks on student success and Cobb being the best place to teach, lead, and learn:

Board Recognitions 

40 Years of Service – Barry Lankford, Building Engineer, Maintenance Services, Office of Technology & Operations

40 Years of Service – Tony Mewborn, HVAC Foreman, DDC & Scheduling, Maintenance Services, Office of Technology & Operations

2026-2027 Classified Employee of the Year, Elementary School Level – Shelly Prestridge, Addison Elementary School

2026-2027 Classified Employee of the Year, Middle School Level – Tamesha Mackey, Garrett Middle School (not in attendance)

2026-2027 Classified Employee of the Year, High School Level – Tedra Curtis, Kennesaw Mountain High School

2026-2027 Classified Employee of the Year, Central Office Level and Overall District Level – Shala Rathke, ESOL, Teaching & Learning, Academic Division

 National School Bus Safety Week and Cobb County School District Bus Driver Appreciation Week – October 19-23, 2026

Cobb County Public Safety Appreciation Week – October 5-9, 2026

Georgia's BEST Doctoral Students Graduating in December 2026