On time graduation rates continue to rise although large gaps remain according to
Education Week’s annual special report
Diplomas Count 2008: School to College: Can State P–16 Councils Ease the Transition? More black and Hispanic students are graduating high school on time but they still trail white students by nearly 20 percentage points.
Education Week also examined the relatively recent practice by many states of creating P–16 councils to better align what students need to know as they transition from preschool through postsecondary education. Although the impact of these councils is unclear, they have been adopted in differing forms in the majority of states.
The Findings
How many states have formed P–16 councils and what do they look like?
- Thirty-eight states have formed 40 P–16 councils to better align educational institutions from preschool through postsecondary. Most have been formed since 2005.
- The councils were formed by the governor's executive order in 12 states, authorized by state legislatures in 13 states, and formed by the state board of education in two states. All other councils are purely voluntary and lack formal legal authorization.
- P–16 councils are typically coordinated by the state K–12 department of education, the state higher education agency, the governor's office, or a combination of these offices.
What percentage of students will graduate high school on-time?
- Nearly seventy-one percent of students graduated on time with a regular or advanced high school diploma in 2005.
- Seventy-eight percent of white students graduated on time compared to 55 percent and 58 percent of black and Hispanic students respectively.
- More females (75 percent) than males (68 percent) graduated on time.
- Of the 50 largest school districts, seven (Detroit; Milwaukee; Baltimore; Los Angeles, Clark County, NV; Nashville-Davidson County, TN; and Albuquerque, NM) graduated less than 50 percent of their students on time.
- Since 2001 on-time graduation rates have increased slightly from 68 percent to 71 percent in 2005.
- Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Vermont, New Jersey and Iowa graduated over 80 percent of their students on time while Washington, DC; South Carolina; Louisiana; Nevada; New Mexico; and Georgia graduated less than 60 percent of their students on time.
- All but one state (Alaska) reported higher graduation rates than Education Week, 29 of those states report graduation rates to be at least 10 points higher. New Mexico had the largest difference in graduation rates with its state rate 31 points higher than Education Week.
Keep in mind:
- Education Week's graduation rate only includes students who graduated within four years of entering high school with a regular or advanced diploma.
- Students who graduated with a special education, vocational, or certificate of completion are not included as graduates.
- Students who received a regular or advanced diploma in more than four years are not considered graduates in this calculations, neither are students who leave school and go on to receive a GED.
- Graduation rates are only estimates based on grade level enrollment figures. The rates would likely differ were it possible to follow each individual student to determine who graduated and who transferred to another school.
- Dr. James Heckman, a Nobel Prize winning economist, has found that the national overall graduation rate is likely about 9 points higher than Education Week’s figure and about 14 points higher for minority groups like black and Hispanic students.
Conclusion:
Although Education Week likely underestimates graduation rates, its numbers still serve as an important barometer for determining how likely it is that students in your state will graduate from high school. Unfortunately, each state currently has its own method for calculating graduation rates which has led to much confusion about how many students are actually graduating. This is why estimated graduation rates like Education Week's are useful tools for benchmarking your state's graduation rates. If there is a large discrepancy between your state's rate and Education Week's estimates, it is important to find out why. Knowing that Education Week does not include students who take more than four years to graduate can help determine why there is a difference, as is knowing which students are included in your state calculation.
When your comparing your state graduation rate to Education Week's estimates, it’s important to find out the following:
- Does my state have the ability to track and verify students who transfer from one school to another?
- How does my state verify that a student has actually transferred and not dropped out?
- Are students who take longer than four years to graduate included in the rate?
If your state graduation rate differs from Education Week’s figures and other estimated rates, these questions can help you determine why.
