1. Cohort Graduation Rate
Last updated: 08/20/09

2. Cohort Graduation Rate
Objectives
Understand the changes to the graduation rate.
Understand how the cohort graduation rate will affect schools and districts

3. Cohort Graduation Rate
Definition
The cohort graduation rate is based on students who enter high school in a given year (for this year’s cohort that’s 05-06) and record how many of them graduate with a regular diploma within 4 years.
States must compute and report a 4 year rate.
States may request to also report a 5 year rate.

4. Cohort Graduation Rate
Definition (cont)
Modified diplomas and GEDs will reduce a school’s graduation rate. The non-regulatory guidance regarding the cohort rate can be found here:
A-34. May a GED, alternative diploma, or certificate of attendance be counted as a regular high school diploma?
No. Alternative graduation credentials that are not fully aligned with a State’s academic content standards may not be counted as a regular high school diploma for the purpose of calculating the four-year or extended-year graduation rate. Thus, students who graduate with a credential other than a regular high school diploma, such as a GED, modified diploma, or certificate of attendance, may not be included in the numerator, but must be included in the denominator of the four-year and extended-year graduation rate.

5. Cohort Graduation Rate
Timeline
ODE will start communicating with districts regarding students in the cohort that were not reported with an “outcome”
August 2009
ODE will submit technical details regarding the calculation of the cohort graduation rate to the USED for approval
October 2009
Districts will preview the cohort graduation rate
Early April 2010
Cohort graduation rate released
Mid-April 2010
Cohort graduation rate included in AYP Designations
August 2010

6. Cohort Graduation Rate
Draft Proposal
Establish an improvement rate over 12 years
Establish a goal that 90% of students achieve a regular high school diploma in 4 years.
Start with a target of 68.1% which is close to the state average
Increase target 2% each year for 11 years
Establish a safe harbor for graduation rate such that schools will “meet” if they reduce the percent who are non-graduates by 10% or more.

7. Cohort Graduation Rate
Dos and Don’ts
Dos
Clarify what happened to students in the past using ODE’s survey tool
Code the reason why students leave school accurately in the new Cumulative ADM
Submit in SSID an accurate year for students’ first year in High School (9th grade)
Retain some information (i.e. documentation) regarding the reason students leave school in grades 7-12

8. Cohort Graduation Rate
Dos and Don’ts (cont)
Don’ts
Districts should not code students at the district level unless a school is not accountable for the educational decisions regarding the student

9. Cohort Graduation Rate
In a Nutshell
Cohort Graduation Rate counts regular diplomas within 4 years
GEDs, modified diplomas, extended diplomas, and certificates will reduce the graduation rate