New Graduation Rate Calculation Implemented
Lance Richards, Staff Writer
December 9, 2011
Filed under News
The Missouri Department if Elementary and Secondary Education created a new way to calculate the senior graduation rates and causes them to go down.
The new calculation method excludes students that graduate in more than a 4-year period. “The U.S. Department of Education is requiring (states) to report the new four-year rate so we can compare how Missouri is doing to our neighbors in Kansas and Illinois. It’s another way to help us look at students and see if there’s anything we need to do to provide them and help them graduate in four years.” said Leigh Ann Grant-Engle, assistant commissioner for the Office of Data System Management.
States are required to report only the rate of those students that have or will graduate in 4 years. Districts do not get credit for those that work to get GED’s and do not graduate in four years or more.
Under the new calculation method, the four-year graduation rate for Missouri was 79.8 percent in the 2010-11 school year.
“I believe they are just two different rates. There are many students that it’s appropriate for them to take longer than four years to graduate. I do think (the new rate) is an important rate because it allows us to compare to other states accurately,” said Grant-Engle The new calculation may help state and district leaders understand characteristics of students who may take longer than four years to graduate.
This caused turbulence in the Parkway School district. Parents were worried that more of the students were dripping out because of the lowered graduating rate.
“I’m not sure if the new method will cause a renewed focus on getting kids to graduate in four years. The state’s increased graduation requirements in recent years may also play a role in making it more difficult to graduate in that time frame and only a small percentage of Parkway students are actually dropping out,” said Paul Tandy district spokesman.
Tandy prefers the old rate which he said provided consistency and a sole formula.
This new state calculation rate allows for schools nationwide to compare rates and allow them to be closer and more accurate.
The new calculation method excludes students that graduate in more than a 4-year period. “The U.S. Department of Education is requiring (states) to report the new four-year rate so we can compare how Missouri is doing to our neighbors in Kansas and Illinois. It’s another way to help us look at students and see if there’s anything we need to do to provide them and help them graduate in four years.” said Leigh Ann Grant-Engle, assistant commissioner for the Office of Data System Management.
States are required to report only the rate of those students that have or will graduate in 4 years. Districts do not get credit for those that work to get GED’s and do not graduate in four years or more.
Under the new calculation method, the four-year graduation rate for Missouri was 79.8 percent in the 2010-11 school year.
“I believe they are just two different rates. There are many students that it’s appropriate for them to take longer than four years to graduate. I do think (the new rate) is an important rate because it allows us to compare to other states accurately,” said Grant-Engle The new calculation may help state and district leaders understand characteristics of students who may take longer than four years to graduate.
This caused turbulence in the Parkway School district. Parents were worried that more of the students were dripping out because of the lowered graduating rate.
“I’m not sure if the new method will cause a renewed focus on getting kids to graduate in four years. The state’s increased graduation requirements in recent years may also play a role in making it more difficult to graduate in that time frame and only a small percentage of Parkway students are actually dropping out,” said Paul Tandy district spokesman.
Tandy prefers the old rate which he said provided consistency and a sole formula.
This new state calculation rate allows for schools nationwide to compare rates and allow them to be closer and more accurate.
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