MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Massachusetts Department of Education...

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Calculating Graduation RatesMA Department of Education

Calculating Graduation Rates

Massachusetts Department of Education

November 2006

Bob Bickerton, Senior Associate Commissioner: Center for Lifelong Learning, Assessment, Educator Quality and Technology

Paula O’Sullivan, Project Manager

Calculating Graduation RatesAgenda

Background Formula & Data Timeline Questions

Background

Not previously calculated by MADOE Provide critical information on the progress of

students Required under NCLB for use in AYP for

secondary schools Agreed to under National Governors Association

(NGA) compact with all 50 states

Background

Different from dropout rates Dropout rate: statistic about a particular school year Graduation rate: statistic about a particular cohort of

students over time

For example, a school that typically has a dropout rate of 3% may have a graduation rate of 82%.

Development Process

DOE Cross-agency Policy Group

Research into other states

Participation on Council of Chief State School

Officers task-force

Graduation Rate Formula Required under NCLB “The percentage of students, measured from the beginning of high school, who

graduate from high school with a regular diploma in the standard number of years.” NCLB Act, Section 1111(b)(2)(C)(vi)

Agreed to under National Governors Association (NGA) compact

MADOE agreed to “take steps to implement a standard, four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate.” (i.e. divide the number of on-time graduates in a given year by the number of first time entering ninth graders four years earlier, adjusted for transfers in and out of the system).

Graduation Rate Formula

A significant number of students do not graduate by the “4-year on-time” standard, but graduate in 5 years. Hence, MA DOE will also calculate a 5-year graduation rate:

5-Year Rate:

# of students in cohort X who graduate in 5 years or less

[# of 1st time 9th graders in X-3] – transfers out + transfers in

4-Year Rate:

# of students in cohort X who graduate in 4 years or less

[# of 1st time 9th graders in X-3] – transfers out + transfers in

Oct 1, 2002 9th grade first

Cohort 2006

4-year rate: How many graduate by summer ‘06?

Transfer out, death

Transfer In

Cohort 2006

8th Grade Completers

Cohort 2008

Transfer out, death

Transfer In

Starting with Cohort 2008

Example

Oct 1, 2002 9th grade first

Cohort 2006

Transfer out, death

Transfer In

Adjusted Cohort 2006

Data Sources

SIMS data starting with end-of-year 2001-02 through EOY06

Subsequent SIMS data brought in when available Missing Student Reports – information on

students enrolled at the end of one school year, not enrolled the following year

Confirmed against CD database GED data

Graduation Rates Calculated By

Limited English Proficiency Low-Income Special Education

Race/Ethnicity Gender

Reported in at least one SIMS report

Last reported category

Students may be in more than one sub-group.

Other Things to Note

Summer graduates - counted with preceding spring graduates

Students placed by district in a private school or collaborative - included in district rate

No cut-off date for transfers in

Timeline

Oct: Finalize methodology for calculating rate

Nov. 15th – Dec. 14th: Districts review cohort 2006 student data on security portal and request data corrections if necessary. Rates not yet calculated.

***Updated from 9/18/06 Notification***

Timeline (cont.) ***Dec. 19th: Board of Education expected to

discuss the use of graduation rates for AYP purposes

***Jan. 23rd: BOE expected to vote on AYP target

Dec – Jan: Department will make decisions on corrections requests, implement approved changes, and calculate rates

Timeline (cont.) Late Jan: Rates released to districts for final

review, 10 days prior to public release of the data

Early Feb: Public release of the graduation rates

August 2007: 2006 graduation data will be used in AYP determinations

Data Review Application Accessible through the DOE security portal Security role “SIMS Data Transmission” and

“Graduation Rate Data Submit” List of students in the original 2006 cohort, the

students who left/entered the cohort, and the status of students in the cohort as of EOY06

User can enter a request for correction at the student-level

No aggregate data

Data Review Application

Confidential Data Over Here

Name, DOB, SASID, LASID

Presentations MSSAA Oct. 26 Regional Forum Nov. 8 – Shrewsbury Regional Forum Nov. 15 – Taunton MASS Nov. 16 Regional Forum Nov. 20 – Malden Regional Forum Nov. 29 – Springfield

Regional Forums: http://www.doe.mass.edu/conference/

More Information… Commissioner’s Update – 9/18/06

http://www.doe.mass.edu/mailings/2006/cm091906.html

Project Website http://www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/reports/gradrates/

graduationrates@doe.mass.edu

MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Massachusetts Department of Education...

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