The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate is the number of students who graduate in four year with a regular diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. We begin a cohort by selecting all first time ninth grade students and then tracking those students as they move through the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades and adding any students who transfer into the cohort and removing any students who transfer out. The fact that a student is retained at any point does not change their cohort.

Current Enrollment Status Currently/Still Enrolled Graduate Withdrawn – Removed from cohort Withdrawn – Still in cohort (Dropout, Completer, No Show, Missing, other)

Code GRADUATE CATEGORIES IN COHORT GRADUATION RATE 01Graduate – Alabama High School Diploma 02 Graduate – Alabama High School Diploma with Advanced Endorsement 06 Graduate – Alabama High School Diploma with Career Tech Endorsement 07 Graduate – Alabama High School Diploma with Advanced Career Tech Endorsement 13Graduate – Credit-Based Diploma 14Graduate – Alabama High School Diploma with Advanced Academic and Advanced Career Tech Endorsements

Non-Graduates 03 Non Graduate –Completed all required Credits but failed to pass the required number of subject subtests of the AHSGE. 04 Non-Graduate - Exited with a document other than a diploma - Special Education – Graduation Certificate 05 Non-Graduate - Special Education – Alabama Occupational Diploma 09 Non Graduate - Exited with a document other than a diploma – GED 11 Non Graduate – Retained in 12 th Grade (Special Education ONLY) 12Non Graduate – Failed to complete all credit requirements

 Fall Attendance  End of Year Attendance (9 th Month)  Summer School Completers  Dropout Report

 Start with Fall collection of first-time 9 th graders who actually attended an Alabama school. (Fall Collection, school year).  Update dropouts, using Dropout collection and Prevention and Support verification.  Update each student’s demographics, based on 9 th month collection. Add any new 9 th grade students not found in any other cohort. (9 th Month Collection, school year).

 Update any students in cohort found in summer school completer process.  Repeat for 10 th grade (using Fall, Dropout, 9 th Month and summer school completers from ).  Repeat for 11 th grade (using Fall, Dropout, 9 th Month and summer school completers from ).

 Repeat for 12 th grade (using Fall, Dropout, 9 th Month and summer school completers from ).

Category Need Docu- ments If Approved by SDE - Resultant Action * In School Cohort =Also in System Cohort Move to Graduate StatusYESRemain in Current School Cohort Move to Withdrawn Status – Moved Out of State or Country or to a Private School or Private Tutor YESRemove From State Cohort Move to Withdrawn Status – Went to Another Public School in Alabama YESRemove from School Cohort but Add to Another School Cohort Move to Withdrawn Status – Location UnknownNORemain in Current School Cohort Move to Dropout StatusYESRemain in Current School Cohort Move to Foreign Exchange StatusYESRemove from State Cohort Duplicate Student RecordNOMerge Records in Cohort Still Actively Enrolled in SchoolNOReturn to Cohort Never an Enrolled Student in This SchoolYESRemove from School Cohort but Return to Last Known School Cohort Incarceration /Enrolled in Program that Culminates in Diploma YESRemoved from State Cohort Incarceration /Enrolled in program that Does NOT Culminate in a Diploma YESRemains in School Cohort Switch Cohort YearYESMoved to Appropriate Cohort - * Note if in Alabama School in 8th & 9th Grade – Cohort Stands

CategoryRequired Documentation Move to Graduate or Completer StatusDiploma or Certificate DeathLetter from Family or Obituary Notice Move to Withdrawn Status – Moved Out of State or Country or to a Private School or Private Tutor Request for Records or Official Proof of Current Enrollment If Out of Country – Letter from Family/ Relative or letter from School Principal verifying move will be sufficient Move to Withdrawn Status – Went to Another Public School in Alabama Request for Records or Proof of Enrollment Proof in State Locator- This should only happen if not properly enrolled in another system or a technical glitch Move to Dropout StatusLetter of Withdrawal with a Dropout Reason as the Withdrawal Reason Move to Foreign Exchange StatusDocument of Status in US Never an Enrolled Student in This SchoolProof never enrolled from Student Management System or No attendance string in any official data collection ?????? IncarcerationProof that student is in a Facility/program that culminates in a diploma Switch Cohort YearTranscript

ENROLLMENT STATUSCOHORT STATUS Withdrawn to Another Alabama Public School or System – Found in new School No Longer in This School’s Cohort but in New School Cohort Withdrawn to Another Alabama Public School or System – Not Found in new School by SDE IN COHORT Withdrawn Out of State or Out of CountryNo longer in any Cohort in State Withdrawn Private or Church School or Private Tutor No longer in any Cohort in State Withdrawn – Incarceration – Program Culminates in Diploma No longer in any Cohort in State Withdrawn – Incarceration – Program Does Not Culminate in Diploma IN COHORT Dropped OutIN COHORT

ENROLLMENT STATUSCOHORT STATUS Currently Enrolled / Still EnrolledIN COHORT Foreign Exchange StudentNo longer in any Cohort in State Duplicate RecordRecords should be merged if possible so student is only in Cohort 1 time Graduate or CompleterIN COHORT Missing RecordNo end of Year Record Found – IN COHORT NO SHOWIN COHORT

 Graduation Rate Calculation Formula: 100 times [Graduate Count] divided by [Total in Cohort] Missing and No Shows are counted in the Total as are Graduates, Completers, Dropouts, Withdrawn but Remain, Still Enrolled, and Other.  The Cohort Graduation Rate will be used as the AYP AAI for High Schools beginning this year.  The AAI will include a calculation for each Subpopulation where N-Count >= AYP minimum N-Count as well as the All Student category. Thus, if a school has 5 sub- populations counted in AYP that have a large enough N- count in the 12 th grade cohort from the previous year, then each of the 5 sub-populations and the All Student category must make the AAI AYP in order for the school to make AAI AYP.

 Online 24/7  Accountability Web Portal (ap.alsde.edu)

 Restricted to system or school level access  View only school information  View all schools in system  View various disaggregated subgroups/subpopulations.  Filter by any available column  Add/remove columns to customize view

 Select desired subpopulation  Summary numbers reflect selected subgroup  Only students matching selected subgroup are displayed.

 Displays school year and initial grade for currently displayed cohort.

 Displays summary of students matching selected subpopulation.  Graduation rate is calculated by dividing total students by graduates

 Choose which fields to include in grid  Download current grid as Excel file  Download all fields (based on current selection) as Excel file

 Select columns to include in grid by dragging from field chooser to grid.  Remove columns from grid by dragging header to field chooser.  Can reorder columns in grid.

 Select column header to sort  Enter text in filter row (row above data) to restrict by matching text

 Select appropriate action for student.  Similar to potential dropout application.  Must provide proper documentation to Prevention and Support to confirm. Dropout (5)

Use it along with your Cohort Tracking System as to track day to day attendance, behavior, and performance tracking

 How is the GTS aligned to cohort tracking as a progress monitoring instrument? - GTS reports give school staff daily access to attendance, behavior, and course/credit performance. - Provides school staff with vital “real-time” information to use in aligning appropriate social, behavioral, and academic resources to individual student needs in a timely manner.

 There is no appeal of graduation rate in the August AYP appeals.  All appeals must come through the Accountability Web Portal when opened by Prevention and Support until this cohort is closed for final graduation rate calculation.  Documentation must be faxed or mailed to the Prevention Support Section of SDE.

Fax Documentation to:

 2010 Cohort will be available for viewing on the Accountability Web Portal beginning : March 02, You will not be able to challenge this cohort.  2011 Cohort – Graduating Class of 2011 – to be used in AYP this year – will be open for challenges on March 02, 2012 and will close on March 15,  Join us on March 02, 2012 for a follow-up webinars at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

 Join us on March 02, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. for: Maneuvering Through the Cohort on The Accountability Portal. Remember: Portal Opens March 2 nd and Portal Closes March 15 th.