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 Glossary of terms  Explanation of how graduation, completion, and dropout rates are calculated  Overview of the rates for  Federal policy changes impacting rates  Internal data coding inconsistencies  Considerations for policy and practice 2

 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 3

 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 8 th 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 8 th graders in Year X-4)+(# of transfers in)-(# of transfers out)) 5

 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 X Number of students part of same membership base at any time during Year X 6

* Graduation51.7%52.0%49.5% Completion63.0%60.7%58.4% Dropout11.1%10.4%7.5% 7 This information is currently scheduled to be released to districts and the media on or around May 18 th. The information will be embargoed for 3-5 days prior to public release.

Class of Class of Class of Class of th Grade YearNo Document Required Document Required 10 th Grade YearNo Document Required Document Required 11 th Grade YearNo Document RequiredDocument Required 12 th Grade YearDocument Required Documentation Requirement Changes  Beginning in , 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 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

GED Transfers  Prior to , 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. 9

On-Time Graduation Changes  Until , 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 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. 10

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. 11

 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? 12

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