Cohort Graduation Exit Code Review December 18, 2014

Agenda Overview, Purpose, and Background Students Included in Cohort Graduation Rate Legitimate Leavers

Overview and Purpose This presentation is designed to provide district accountability contacts with an overview and understanding of exit codes and required documentation as related to cohort graduation rate. Purpose Through this overview district staff will be able to understand: (a)The policy around cohort graduation rates (b)The exclusion of legitimate leavers from cohort graduation rates (c)Documentation required for use of legitimate leaver exit codes

Background The Department has annually provided districts with a data certification period for corrections to cohort graduation rate data. The 2015 cohort graduation data (2015 SPS), for students in the cohort, certification window will be open in January. Additionally, during data certification, a review of legitimate leaver codes will be conducted, similar to last year, for all LEAs. Graduation data is used in SPS as defined on the following slides.

High School SPS: Accountability School Accountability School accountability for Louisiana schools with grades 9-12 includes student assessment performance on both EOC and ACT, progress points, cohort graduation rate, and graduation index. Grades 9-12 Assessment25% ACT25% Cohort Graduation Rate25% Graduation Index25% + Progress Points

6 Louisiana Believes Importance of Cohort Cohort used to calculate: Graduation Rate – Percentage of students in a cohort who graduate in 4 years with standard diploma Graduation Index – Average of points awarded to cohort members based on 4 year result (AP, earned GED, earned diploma, etc.)

High School SPS: Graduation Rate Purpose The cohort graduation rate measures the base expectation, that students who enter 9 th grade will graduate four years later. Accountability Inclusion: All 9 th graders who enter a graduation cohort are included in calculations of the cohort graduation rate. Transitional 9 th : Students will enter into the first-time ninth grade cohort in the year that follows the transitional 9 th grade. If students in transitional 9 th dropout, they will be included as dropout in cohort graduation rate calculations. Calculation The cohort graduation rate is calculated in the following manner: Cohort Graduation Rate (CGR)Formula 0 to 60 percent grad rateCGR x to 100 percent grad rate(CGR x 2.0) - 50

High School SPS: Quality of Diploma Purpose The strength of diploma index measures the quality of the diploma earned by each cohort completer. Accountability Schools earn points for graduates in the following manner (2014 cohort completers): Quality of Diploma (Graduation Index): Student ResultsPoints Awarded HS Diploma plus (a)AP score of 3 or higher, IB score of 4 or higher, or CLEP score of 50 or higher; OR (b) Advanced statewide Jump Start credential *Students achieving both (a) and (b) will generate 160 points. 150 HS Diploma plus (a)At least one passing course grade for TOPS core curriculum credit of the following type: AP**, college credit, dual enrollment, or IB; OR (b) Basic statewide Jump Start credential *Students achieving both (a) and (b) will generate 115 points. **Students must take the AP exam and pass the course to earn 110 points. 110 Four-year graduate (Includes Career Diploma student with a regional Jump Start credential) 100 Five-year graduate with any diploma *Five-year graduates who earn an AP score of 3 or higher, an IB score of 4 or higher, or a CLEP of 50 or higher will generate 140 points. 75 Six-year graduate with any diploma50 HiSET (formerly GED)25 Non-graduate without HiSET0

Agenda Overview, Purpose, and Background Students Included in Cohort Graduation Rate Legitimate Leavers

10 Louisiana Believes Schools that Receive a Graduation Rate Location has sitecodeSchool has a grade 12 enrollmentSchool has at least 10 members in cohort

11 Louisiana Believes Cohort Assignment Timeline Year 1: Students assigned to state cohort only first year of 9 th grade Year 2: Student is in 10 th grade Year 3: Students assigned to districts in 3 rd year Year 4: Students assigned to schools in 4 th year

12 Louisiana Believes State Cohort Assignment Table Student TimelineCohort Assignment Year Student Joined State Cohort*School**District**State 9 th gradeYYY Year TwoYYY Year Three (On or before Oct 1)YYY Year Three (After Oct 1)NNY Year Four (On or before Oct 1)NNY Year Four (After Oct 1)NNY * First time in state system or return of legitimate leaver ** Site or LEA w/ final resolution record

13 Louisiana Believes Cohort Transfer Table *Site or LEA w/ final resolution record; Cohort entry year never changes. Student TimelineCohort Transfer Assignment Transfers w/in Cohort by YearCohort Entry Year School*District*State 3 rd Year-Same LEA On/before Oct 11 or 2YYY 3 rd Year-Same LEA After Oct 11 or 2YYY 3 rd Year-Different LEA On/before Oct 11or 2YYY 3 rd Year-Different LEA After Oct 11or 2NNY 4 th Year-Same LEA On/before Oct 11,2, or 3YYY 4 th Year-Same LEA After Oct 11,2, or 3NYY 4 th Year-Different LEA On/before Oct 11,2, or 3NNY 4 th Year-Different LEA After Oct 11,2, or 3NNY

14 Louisiana Believes Students with Disabilities All students are included in cohort graduation rate and index Students with disabilities must graduate in four years with a regular diploma to be a graduate in the rate but may also be included as fifth and sixth year graduates Disability status is determined by last year of record

Agenda Overview, Purpose, and Background Students Included in Cohort Graduation Rate Legitimate Leavers

16 Louisiana Believes Legitimate Leavers Students who exit Louisiana’s Student Information System (SIS) system in fewer than four years for legitimate reasons shall not be included in the cohort's graduation index calculations. SIS exit codes that exclude students from cohort (defined as legitimate leavers): 07: Death 10: Transfer Out of State/Country 14: Transfer to Private School 16: Home School Transfer 20: Transfer to Early College Program

Legitimate Leaver Exit Code Review (slide 1 of 2) Exit Code Reviews Because legitimate leaver exit codes remove a student from the graduation cohort calculation, the LDE reviews these exit codes and required documentation. Doing these reviews helps ensure districts are maintaining the required documentation for when students exit and that the graduation rate, across the state, is accurate. Last Year Last year, for the graduation cohort, the LDE reviewed a random sample of legitimate leaver exit codes (10, 14, and 16), the first such review since In total, over 400 records were reviewed for these three legitimate leaver exit codes. In cases where proper documentation was not maintained, as determined by the review, such students were included as non-graduates in the cohort graduation rate.

Legitimate Leaver Exit Code Review (slide 2 of 2) Graduation Cohort Exit Code Reviews For the graduation cohort, a random sample of all LEAs application of legitimate leaver exit codes will be reviewed, as part of data certification. Process Districts, in January, will receive a list of students who were randomly sampled for this review. Documentation for these students will be submitted as part of data certification for these students. Next Steps Districts should ensure that all required documentation is in place for all students with not only legitimate leaver exit codes, but all other exit codes.

Legitimate Leaver Exit Codes: Required Documentation Specific documentation is required for students to be considered legitimate leavers (as outlined in Bulletin 111, Section 611). Exit Code Documentation Exit CodeDescriptionRequired Documentation 07 Death (of student) or permanent incapacitationObituary, death certificate, or similar form 10Transfer out-of-state/country Out-of-state: request for records from the receiving school. Out-of-country: request for records or a statement signed by the parent. If the student is in a foreign exchange program, documentation proving the student was a foreign exchange student. 14 Transfer to Private School (not including scholarship students)Request for records from the receiving school. 16Transfer to Home StudyAn LDE approval letter.

Next Steps for Districts Districts should ensure that all required documentation is in place for all students with not only legitimate leaver exit codes, but all other exit codes. Participate in January data certification system webinar and/or in person trainings Complete January data certification and respond to exit code review within the data certification window with appropriate documentation as needed.