2006 - Indiana Graduation Rate

Graduation Rate Glossary

 

 “Cohort” refers to a class of students within a high school who have the same expected graduation year.

 

 “Enrollment” means the total number of students within a grade that is reported to the department annually on October 1 or a date specified by the department.

 

“Expected graduation year” means the reporting year beginning three (3) years after the reporting year in which a student is first considered by a school corporation to have entered Grade 9.

 

 “Graduation” means the successful completion by a student of a sufficient number of academic credits, or the equivalent of academic credits; and the graduation examination or waiver process required under IC 20-32-3 through IC 20-32-6, resulting in the awarding of a high school diploma or an academic honors diploma. The term does not include the granting of a general educational development diploma under IC 20-20-6.

 

 “Graduation rate” means the percentage of students within a cohort who graduate during their expected graduation year.

 

 “Reporting year” refers to the period beginning October 1 of a year and ending September 30 of the following year.

 

“Retention” refers to the reclassification by a school corporation of a student that places the student into a cohort that has an expected graduation year after the expected graduation year of the student’s initial cohort.

 

Beginning with the class of students who expect to graduate in the 2005-2006 school year, the department shall determine the graduation rate of high school students under this rule.

 

 

Calculation of Graduation Rate

 

The graduation rate for a cohort in a high school is the percentage determined under STEP SEVEN of the following formula:

STEP ONE: Determine the grade 9 enrollment at the beginning of the reporting year three (3) years before the reporting year for which the graduation rate is being determined.

 

STEP TWO: Add the number determined under STEP ONE and the number of students who have enrolled in the high school after the date on which the number determined under STEP ONE was determined; and have the same expected graduation year as the cohort.

 

STEP THREE: Add the sum determined under STEP TWO and the number of retained students from earlier cohorts who became members of the cohort for whom the graduation rate is being determined.

 

STEP FOUR: Add the sum determined under STEP THREE and the number of students who began the reporting year in a cohort that expects to graduate during a future reporting year and graduate during the current reporting year.

 

STEP FIVE: Subtract from the sum determined under STEP FOUR the number of students who have left the cohort for any of the following reasons:

• Transfer to another public or nonpublic school.
• Removal by the student’s parents under IC 20-33-2-28 to provide instruction equivalent to that given in the public schools.
• Withdrawal because of a long-term medical condition or death.
• Detention by a law enforcement agency or the department of correction.
• Placement by a court order or the division of family and children.
• Enrollment in a virtual school.
• Graduation before the beginning of the reporting year.
• Students who have attended school in Indiana for less than one (1) year and whose location cannot be determined.
• Students who cannot be located within the boundaries of the school corporation and have been reported to the Indiana clearinghouse for missing and exploited children.
• Withdrawing from school before graduation, if the student is a high ability student (as defined in IC 20-36-1-3) who is a full-time student at an accredited institution of higher education during the semester in which the cohort graduates.

 

STEP SIX: Determine the total number of students who have graduated during the current reporting year.

 

STEP SEVEN: Divide the number determined under STEP SIX by the remainder determined under STEP FIVE.

Effect of Compulsory School Attendance on the Graduation Rate

 

Compulsory school attendance applies to each situation that involves any of the following:

 

This is everyone in education in Indiana who is of compulsory school attendance age without regard to legal domicile.

 

A school that is non-public, non-accredited and not otherwise approved by the state board is not bound by any requirements set forth in IC 20 or IC 21 with regard to curriculum or the content of educational programs offered by the school. This section may not be construed to prohibit a student who attends a school described in subsection from enrolling in a particular educational program or participating in a particular educational initiative offered by an accredited public, nonpublic, or state board approved nonpublic school if the governing body or superintendent, in the case of the accredited public school or the administrative authority, in the case of the accredited or state board approved nonpublic school approves the enrollment or participation by the student. A non-public, non-accredited school is outside state jurisdiction.  

 

It is unlawful for a parent to fail, neglect or refuse to send the parent's child to a public school for the full term as required under this chapter unless the child is being provided with instruction equivalent to that given in public schools. This section does not apply during a period when a child is excused from school attendance. A child may be pulled out of school [not a dropout] by a parent and transferred to a non-public non-accredited school. Note that education equivalent to public school is not defined.  A transfer student is not a dropout in reports to the state for the district and is eligible for all programs available in public schools for adult learners.

Graduation Rate Information collected on the STN Dropout And Mobility Report (DOE-DM)

The purpose of this data collection is to gather information on student mobility and students who are considered dropouts.

Audience
This is a required collection for students in Grades 7-12 that are being educated in public schools, accredited non public schools, charter schools, and freeway schools.

Student Dropout: Report students that dropout in Grades 7 – 12 that were enrolled or expected to be enrolled, that left school before completing a state or district approved educational program, did NOT graduate and did not transfer to another school or institution. Report each student in the school and grade in which the student was expected to return. Students that dropout and do not return by October 2, 2006 are to be reported.

Please note: This collection occurs in October 2006 for the 05-06 school year, note that students that dropout during the 2006-2007 school year and do not return by October 1, 2007 will be reported on the 2006-2007 Dropout and Mobility Report, DOE-DM. A student cannot be reported as a dropout for an academic year they have completed – they have until October 1 of the following academic year to show up. So, if a student finished the 05-06 school year and did not show up at their next school at the beginning of the 06-07 school year, did not formally dropout or withdraw or does not fit into a mobility code, they will be reported on the 06-07 DM report.

Student Mobility: Report mobility students in Grades 7 – 12 during the 2005-2006 school year that did not dropout but left school for one of the mobility reasons listed. Report each student in the school and grade in which the student was expected to return. The required data should be collected, combined into a file, and submitted to the Department of Education through the secured Application Center. The file may be any of the formats contained in this document and must contain all the fields in the order described.

A trial submission period will be available September 29, 2006 through October 6, 2006. This optional period will provide the opportunity to verify transmission and validity of the data file prior to the actual collection period. All data submitted during this optional period will be deleted at the end of the day on October 6, 2006. The required collection period will begin on October 9, 2006, and last until October 31, 2006, which is the final date for the submission. During this time you are required to submit the file to the Department of Education using the secured Application Center, check the processing results for errors, and check the reports in the Message Center for accuracy.

If there are any errors or inaccuracies you may correct your data file and transmit the file again until the end of the day on October 31, 2006. Alternately, you will have the option to manually enter the information using a web form in the Application Center.

General Guidelines for Determining Dropouts and Student Mobility

 

Yes – Are Dropouts

• Expulsions – If a student does not return when eligible, at that time the student should be counted as a dropout if no transcript has been requested.
• Military – Students who enter the military
• Students who leave school and enter a program not leading to a high school diploma are considered dropouts.
• Students who drop out in the summer or between semesters are considered dropouts.
• Missing – Students who have been reported to the Indiana Missing Children Clearinghouse and have been located but did not attend school by October 1 of the current school year.
• Poor Health - Students who have been chronically ill, either mentally or physically, and consequently are unable to keep up with their studies.
• Not meeting graduation requirements – Students who fail to meet some graduation requirements and who leave school without a diploma or other credential.

 

No – Are Not Dropouts

• General Education Development (GED) - Students who dropout but earn a GED. To meet this qualification, the student must have earned the GED prior to October 1 of the current school year. If the student has not earned a GED by October 2, continues classes to earn the GED, and does not earn the GED, the student is a dropout for the current school year.
• Returning Students – If a student drops out during the 2005 – 2006 school year, including summer of 2005, but returns to the school in the fall of the 2006 – 2007 year, by October 2, the student is not a dropout
• Missing – Students who cannot be located within the boundaries of the school corporation by October 2 of the current school year, and have been reported (by parents) to the Indiana Missing Children Clearinghouse.
• Suspensions – Students who are out of school only for a temporary period.
• Certificate of Completion – Special education students that earn a certificate of course completion
• Death/Medical – Students who are deceased or have a long-term medical condition.
• Transfers to Another School – Students known to have transferred (by transcript) to a public school or a nonpublic school that continues the student’s education on a full-time basis.
• Other Transfers – Students known to be transferred to another public institution, e.g., prison, juvenile institution, mental institution, or private institution (including a home school) or state-approved or district-approved education program.
• Students Age – Student reaches the age of 21+ but does not graduate from high school and does not return by October 2.

 

 

Examples of Common Scenarios that may Effect the Graduation Rate

The following section contains several likely scenarios pertaining to dropouts and a description of how they would be reported.

 
Scenario #1: Ending of School Year 2005-2006 Dropout or Summer 2006 Dropout.

Scenario: A student is in Grade 8 at school #1. At the end of the school year the student is promoted to 9th grade and will be attending high school at school #2 for the 2006 – 2007 school year or the student could be taking summer classes in preparation for Grade 9. The student does not return to school #2 and a dropout code 1-18 applies.

Reporting Result: When the mobility codes 1-30 do not apply, the student is considered a dropout. The grade level reported would be the 9th grade to which the student was promoted and would be reported by school #2 where the student was expected to return in the dropout report for 2006-2007 school year.


Scenario #2: Student Expelled

Scenario: A student is expelled from school #1 and does not return when the expulsion is complete. No transcript request has been made for this student by another school.

Reporting Result: If a student is expelled, does not return when eligible, and no transcript has been received then the student should be reported as a dropout.


Scenario #3: Beginning of School Dropout

Scenario: A student enrolls and returns at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year in the school which the student was expected to return. The student leaves school and does not return.

Reporting Result: Since the student returned during the academic year expected and did not return by October 2, 2006, the student would be reported as a dropout for the 2006-2007 school year if mobility codes 19-30 do not apply. If the student returns at a later date in the 2006-2007 school year and the dropout or mobility codes 1-30 do not apply, then the student is NOT a dropout and not reported.

Scenario #4: No Shows

Scenario: A student enrolls during the summer 2005 or the 2005-2006 school year; student leaves school and does not return to enroll by October 2, 2006. The student has no legitimate reason for not returning, the dropout or mobility codes 1-30, excluding code 14, do not apply to this student.

Reporting Result: Compulsatory attendance law states the student must have an exit interview. Attempts should be made to locate the student. The school can:
(1) Expel the student, removing the student from attendance.
(2) Locate the student and do the exit interview.
(3) After locating the student have a formal hearing and expel the student.
(4) Confer with parents and have them formally dropout.
(5) Make an inquiry to the Indiana Missing Children Clearinghouse to see if the student has been reported as missing.
(6) Report the student as a no show for the 2005-2006 DOE-DM.


Scenario #5: High Mobility between districts

Scenario: A student enrolls during the 2005-2006 school year; student leaves school to attend the neighboring district or state. The student then returns to the original district. This happens several times throughout the school year.

Reporting Result: The mobility information for these students can be reported once and reflective of the entire collection period. If the student is no longer attending your school because they have transferred several times during the year, report the student with the appropriate mobility code of 19 or 25 and submit one record.