Cohort Graduation Rate April 16, >

> Cohort Graduation Rate The Basics: Educating Local Education Agencies submits data to PIMS (Student Template). Students are placed in a cohort based on 9 th grade entry year (9 th grade entry year remains consistent, even if student is retained in grade). Educating Local Education Agencies need to check Cognos Reports, which include only students they reported (Pre- Attribution Reports). Be sure to check Students Unaccounted For report to identify possible issues. 2

> Cohort Graduation Rate The Basics (cont.): PDE applies attribution rules…students are attributed to “responsible” Local Education Agency...Post-Attribution file is sent to Data Recognition Corporation (DRC). It is not possible to change PIMS data once attribution is applied and file is sent to DRC. Data Recognition Corporation Graduation Attribution Window…Local Education Agencies can see students attributed to them, as well as students they reported…LEAs reattribute students, as necessary. Data Recognition Corporation provides Post-Attribution file to PDE. This file is used to calculate cohort graduation rates. 3

> Cohort Graduation Rate Grade 9 Entry Date: Places student in cohort…First time grade 9 entry year remains consistent once entered. Doesn’t change if student is retained in a grade or transfers to another Local Education Agency. Errors must be corrected in the Student Template in year data was entered, not the current year. If a student has multiple grade 9 entry dates (entered in different years or single year by multiple LEAs) student will be included in multiple cohorts…Check Students Reported Elsewhere report to identify possible issues. 4

> Cohort Graduation Rate Data: Student Template (Must populate three fields) o Graduation Status Code. o Post-Graduation Activity. o Diploma Type. 5

> Cohort Graduation Process Data (cont.): Attribution…How is a student removed from your cohort? o Graduates and Dropouts will always remain. o Attributed to State only. - Student takes PASA vs. PSSA (any year of cohort). - Foreign Exchange Student (any year of cohort). - Homeless (final year of cohort). - Court or Agency Placed (final year of cohort). - Institutionalized (final year of cohort). o Transfers out. - Student moves to receiving LEA (any year of cohort). 6

> Cohort Graduation Process Data (cont.): Graduates and Dropouts…Current year data. o Current Year Graduates. - Current year graduates…cohort doesn’t matter. - Students who complete graduation requirements and receive a regular high school diploma should be reported. - No “rate” calculated. o Dropouts. - Current year dropouts in grades Dropout rate calculated (count of dropouts in grades 7-12 / October 1 enrollments in grades 7-12). 7

> Cohort Graduation Rate Data (cont.): Graduates and Dropouts…Current year data (cont.). o Cohort Graduation Rate. - On-time graduates… (4 years) from specific 9 th grade cohort. - Rate calculation: count of on-time graduates / 9 th grade cohort. o Student “Counts” (For graduates, dropouts or remain-in cohort). - “Count” based on last Local Education Agency of enrollment. -Student does not need to be in the Local Education Agency for four years - If you don’t know where the student went, they must be reported as a dropout. 8

> Cohort Graduation Process Data Quality Checks: All normal Student Template checks apply. File Manager: o Student not in grade 9-12 and Grade 09 - Entry Date is populated. o Graduate missing Diploma Type – Populated field 65 Graduation Status Code with a G, but field 91 diploma type is not populated. o Diploma Type Code but Graduation Status not G – Populated field 91 diploma type with a valid value, but field 65 Graduation Status Code is not populated with a G. 9

> Cohort Graduation Rate Data Quality Checks: File Manager (cont.): o Grad/Drop but no Post-Grad Activity – Populated field 65 Graduation Status Code with a valid Grad or Drop Code, but did not populate field 66 Post Grad Activity with a valid code. o Graduate but Invalid Post-Grad Activity – Populated field 65 Graduation Status Code with a G, but field 66 Post-Grad Activity is not a valid code for a graduate. o Dropout but Invalid Post-Grad Activity – Populated field 65 with a valid Dropout Code, but field 66 Post-Grad Activity does not have a valid code for dropouts. 10

> Cohort Graduation Rate Data Quality Checks: File Manager (cont.): o Post-Grad Activity = 997, Spec Ed must have IEP – Populated field 66 Post-Grad Activity with 997(Independent Living), but field 38 Special Education is reported as N. o Foreign exchange student Graduation Status <> G – Populated field 73 Foreign Exchange with Y and populated field 65 Graduation Status Code with a G. Batch Manager: o Student reported as a graduate in previous school year. 11

Data Quality Reports: Bad Grade 9 Entry Dates Questionable Grade 9 Entry Dates Change in Grade 9 Entry Date Transfer Students’ Grade 9 Entry Dates Students Who May Be Considered Dropouts Dropouts Reported Elsewhere Cohort Graduation Rate without Attribution* Cohort List without Attribution * Hidden when file is sent to DRC > Cohort Graduation Rate 12

Data Quality Reports Location: Public Folders ‎  eScholar Framework for Cognos- Production ‎  Graduation and Dropout Reports ‎  Data Quality Reports  Cohort Reports > Cohort Graduation Rate 13

> 14 For more information on the Cohort Graduation Rate, please visit PDE’s website at: /pennsylvania_department_of_education/7237/info/ The mission of the department is to academically prepare children and adults to succeed as productive citizens. The department seeks to ensure that the technical support, resources and opportunities are in place for all students, whether children or adults, to receive a high quality education. Cohort Graduation Rate