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Glossary of terms

Explanation of how graduation, completion, and dropout rates are calculated

Overview of the rates for 2007-2008

Federal policy changes impacting rates

Internal data coding inconsistencies

Considerations for policy and practice

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Graduate: A graduate is a student who successfully completes the district-identified course of high school study and earns a high school diploma

Completer: A completer is a graduate OR a student who successfully completes a course of study resulting in their being awarded a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or other certificate of high school completion (such as what may be awarded to a student with an IEP)

Dropout: A dropout is a student who leaves school for any reason, except death, before completion of a high school diploma or its equivalent, and who does not transfer to another public or private school or enroll in an approved home study program

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The graduation rate is calculated by tracking a base cohort of students over a 4-year period.

The graduation rate is the number of students who earn a HS diploma divided by the number of students in the base cohort.

Changes are made to this base cohort of students:• As students transfer out, they are removed from the

cohort.• As students transfer in, they are added to the cohort.

Number of graduates in year X((# of End of Year 8th graders in Year X-4)+(# of transfers in)-(# of transfers

out)) 4

The completion rate is also calculated by tracking a base cohort of students over a 4-year period.

The completion rate is the number of students who earn a HS diploma, a certificate of completion (such as fulfillment of SPED requirements), or a GED, divided by the number of students in the base cohort.

Changes are also made to this base cohort of students:• As students transfer out, they are also removed from the

cohort.• As students transfer in, they are also added to the cohort.

Number of graduates + completers in year X((# of End of Year 8th graders in Year X-4)+(# of transfers in)-(# of transfers

out))

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The dropout rate is an annual rate, reflecting the percentage of all students enrolled in grades 7-12 who leave school during a single year.

The dropout rate is calculated by dividing the number of dropouts by the number of students who were in membership at any time during the year.

If a student drops out during one school year, then returns to school the following year and drops out again, he/she will be counted in the dropout rate two years in a row.

Number of dropouts in Year XNumber of students part of same membership base at any time during Year X

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2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008*

Graduation 51.7% 52.0% 49.5%

Completion 63.0% 60.7% 58.4%

Dropout 11.1% 10.4% 7.5%

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•This information is currently scheduled to be released to districts and the media on or around May 18th. The information

will be embargoed for 3-5 days prior to public release.

Class of 2006-2007 Class of 2007-2008 Class of 2008-2009

Class of 2009-2010

9th Grade Year

No Document Required

No Document Required

No Document Required

Document Required

10th Grade Year

No Document Required

No Document Required

Document Required Document Required

11th Grade Year

No Document Required

Document Required Document Required Document Required

12th Grade Year

Document Required Document Required Document Required Document Required

Documentation Requirement ChangesDocumentation Requirement Changes Beginning in 2006-2007, students who had previously been coded as

transfers must now provide proof of their successful enrollment in a new school. Without this documentation, those students are counted as dropouts and left in their original graduation cohort.

This requirement is expected to have an exponential and negative effect on the dropout and graduation/completion rates at least through the 2009-2010 year because it applies to 1 year of the HS career of the class of 2007, 2 years of the HS career of the class of 2008, 3 years of the HS career of the class of 2009, and all 4 years of the HS career of the class of 2010.

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GED TransfersGED Transfers

Prior to 2006-2007, students bound for a GED program were treated as transfers and removed from the graduation cohort, so they did not adversely affect the graduation rate.

However, under a new formula, students who opt for a GED program remain in the “membership base” and thereby reduce the graduation rate for their graduating class. 

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On-Time Graduation ChangesOn-Time Graduation Changes

Until 2009-10, students who take longer than 4 years to complete HS simply join the following base cohort of students (a student from the class of 2007, who takes 5 years to complete, will join the class of 2008).

Beginning with the 2009-2010 rates, the graduation and completion rates will be adversely affected by students enrolled in 5 year programs.

Exceptions will not be made for students with IEPs and students classified as ELL.

The CDE is currently exploring options with the Federal DOE on ways to avoid a situation in which students in district-approved 5 year programs adversely affect the graduation rate.

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DPS Data Issues

According to the CDE, DPS is one of very few districts in the state who are following the “Adequate Documentation” requirements for transfer students to the letter of the law. For this reason, the dropout rate is likely overstated and the graduation rate may be understated.

An initial analysis of data indicates that, in many instances, students are not receiving the correct entrance or exit codes at the school level, which may lead to an over- or under-statement of the rates at each school.

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Can we create Board policies to provide infrastructure and accountability to adequate documentation requirements?

Can we begin to hold conversations with the CDE and the State Legislature to identify ways to hold all districts accountable for documentation requirements for transfer students?

Can we designate a District policy regarding which students are encouraged to pursue a GED and how they are guided to that decision?

Is there a way to ensure data coding accountability at the school level?

How do we effectively communicate to the public both the district rates and instructions on how to accurately interpret them?

Are we prepared for the likely possibility that, as DPS graduation requirements increase, there may be adverse impacts on the graduation, completion, and dropout rates?

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