School officials are paying more attention to the numbers that indicate students’ preparation for the career world — graduation rates.

With a down economy, school leaders are looking for more ways to connect students with the next step in the education process.

Whether it’s a four-year liberal arts degree, two-year technical college degree or work skills certificate, post-secondary experience is now necessary for most jobs.

By offering dual enrollment options, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate diplomas for college credit, as well as hands-on, career-focused classes, schools seek a seamless transition from high school to advanced education.

“We really like to look at this birth-to-work pipeline so people can understand this is a complicated process. If any pieces are not solid, that’s going to be an opportunity for some students to fall behind,” said Steve Dolinger, director of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, a nonpartisan group that helps educators across Georgia understand current issues. “If we don’t have healthy mothers and healthy babies, we may have children not ready for school. If they’re behind in kindergarten, they typically stay behind.”

The pipeline stretches from pre-kindergarten to post-high school, built on the idea that students need support for a successful education. The critical points to influence students are before elementary school and after high school.

“About 80 percent of jobs in the next decade will require some college, and we have to get more of our kids to that — not just through graduation,” Dolinger said. “Research is pretty clear that students enrolled in dual enrollment programs or take some technical college classes have a 96 percent graduation rate. It’s a successful strategy.”

Graduation rates are part of the standards required under federal No Child Left Behind legislation. Signed into law in January 2002, the act requires states to set standards and measure student achievement. Test scores on the Georgia High School Graduation Test and graduation rates determine if high schools meet Adequate Yearly Progress.

For Hall County Schools, graduation rates tend to exceed the state average. The goal is a 90 percent graduation rate in the next few years, up from the 75 percent average for the 2008-2009 school year and the 80 percent average for the 2009-2010 school year.

Hall County set goals for the next five years in other areas that predict a successful transition to post-secondary education — graduation test scores, dual enrollment numbers, AP and IB program numbers, SAT scores.

One goal is to increase the percentage of students taking AP, honors, IB and dual enrollment classes by 10 percent in the next five years. Earning college credit early can ease the transition to college.

“If they take some secondary education in high school, they are much more likely to continue as adults and beyond,” Hall County Schools Superintendent Will Schofield said. “It’s the Bill and Melinda Gates idea that students who never dreamed of going to college take these classes and then — surprise, surprise — they continue taking classes.”

By 2015, school officials aim to have 75 percent of middle school students completing one high school unit. Earning credit early helps students shift through the ninth grade, which is often when the most dropouts occur.

Hall County Schools also are heavily supporting technical college and career academy programs, such as the Lanier Career Academy in Oakwood. On the campus, students take hands-on prep courses, such as culinary arts.

“One of the many lies we’ve told students is that they need to have a traditional college degree when only one-third of the job market needs that traditional four-year degree,” Schofield said. “However, 100 percent need some type of extra education for high-paying and high-demand jobs. Educational systems are still trying to push through that tremendous mismatch.”

The expanded options not only bolster students in the work force, they also engage students, said Susan Walker, GPEE director of policy and research.

“The offerings are relevant to kids’ lives. The more engaged they will be, the less likely they will be to drop out,” she said. “We also like to talk about the insulation around the pipeline. It’s not just what happens in schools that will obviously impact students and the end results. It’s community programs, training programs and even economic support for families.”

As the economy takes time to recover, school board officials will need to think about partnerships outside of school walls, she added.

“It’s how all aspects of life play together to keep kids in school,” she said. “As schools struggle with budgets and may not be able to provide services, such as after-school programs, it’s even more important to look to the community to see what partners are there to help.”