Dropout Rates 1

Why is this important? For schools and districts to understand how CDE defines “dropout” For schools and districts to understand how CDE calculates dropout rates For schools and districts to understand how dropout rates compare to graduation and completion rates

Overview of the calculations for dropout, graduation and completion rates 11/22/2018 Graduation Rate Completion Rate Dropout Rate 4-year cohort (The Class of…) 4-year cohort (The Class of…) Annual (July 1 to June 30) Time period # of students receiving a diploma, GED certificate, or designation of high school completion within 4 years of initially entering 9th grade # of students receiving a diploma within 4 years of initially finishing 8th grade Number of reported dropouts and “age outs” during the past year Numerator # of students finishing 8th grade four years earlier + transfers in – verified transfers out # of students finishing 8th grade four years earlier + transfers in – verified transfers out # of students that were in membership in grade 7-12 at any time during the past year Denominator In the overview, we talked about… This webinar will highlight this…. Example: Statewide 2012-13 Rate (and count) 76.9% 46,756 graduates / membership base of 60,777 79.6% 48,350 completers / membership base of 60,777 2.5% 10,664 dropouts / 425,226 records of student membership in grades 7-12 5-, 6-, and 7-year graduation rates are also calculated and posted for each cohort 5-, 6-, and 7-year completion rates are also calculated and posted for each cohort Students exiting to a GED program are not counted as dropouts in the dropout rate Notes 3

Definitions What is the dropout rate? The Colorado dropout rate is an annual rate, reflecting the percentage of all students enrolled in grades 7-12 that leave school during a single school year without subsequently attending another school or educational program.  What is a dropout? A dropout is a “person 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.” 4

Who is counted as a dropout? Students who are counted as dropouts Students who are coded as dropouts Students who are coded as attending another district and never enroll in another district Students who age out before graduating or completing Students who are not counted as dropouts GED program transfers Expelled students Students who transfer to another education environment

Student turns 22 without diploma, HSE or certificate Dropout Calculation Dropout Calculation – Numerator Sum of the below Student counted as a dropout Includes students who withdraw and do not show up in another district Student reached maximum age before receiving diploma, GED, or certificate of completion Countedas dropout Student turns 22 without diploma, HSE or certificate Dropout Rate Denominator

Dropout Calculation – Denominator Sum of the below counts per grade level per school Number of students returning from the prior year (continuously enrolled students) Number of students transferring into the district/school Number of students recovered Former dropouts, expulsions, return from GED program, etc. Numerator Dropout Rate Continuously enrolled students Students transferring in Students recovered

=% N*100 D Dropout Rate Dropout rate is calculated annually. 11/22/2018 Dropout Rate Dropout rate is calculated annually. Dropout rate (Numerator *100)/Denominator Dropout rate is represented as a percent. N*100 D =% Cori to clean up visuals on this page

Calculation Considerations 11/22/2018 Calculation Considerations Student is counted as a dropout once in a given year. The dropout is associated with the last school attended. Student can be counted as a dropout multiple times across multiple years. Example: The student was counted as a dropout last year, and the student could be counted as a dropout this year, too. There are subtle differences between how school and district dropout rates are calculated. The numerator for the district dropout rate includes summer dropouts. Reminder that summer dropout is…. Definitions are discussed in detail in the overview webinar.

11/22/2018 Scenario Which school? Student enrolls in School A at the beginning of the school year and withdraws on October 2. Student shows up at School B in April and withdraws two weeks later. Q: Since a student is only coded a dropout one time each year, which school would this student be considered a dropout from according to CDE reporting rules? A: The last school that the student attended during the school year. In this scenario, the dropout would be attributed to School B. These type of scenarios have specific implications for district policies and funding distributions in how districts meet the needs of students.

For More Information See the CDE website: www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/dropoutcurrent To find district and school rates: www.schoolview.org Contact Data Services at dataservicesunit@cde.state.co.us or datapipeline.support@cde.state.co.us 11