1. MA 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 OSullivan, Project Manager

2. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Calculating Graduation Rates Agenda Background Formula & Data Timeline Questions

3. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 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

4. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 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%.

5. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Development Process DOE Cross-agency Policy Group Research into other states Participation on Council of Chief State School Officers task-force

6. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 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).

7. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 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 1 st time 9 th graders in X-3] – transfers out + transfers in 4-Year Rate: # of students in cohort X who graduate in 4 years or less [# of 1 st time 9 th graders in X-3] – transfers out + transfers in

8. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Oct 1, 2002 9 th grade first time Cohort 2006 4-year rate: How many graduate by summer 06? 5-year rate: How many graduate by summer 07? Transfer out, death Transfer In Cohort 2006

9. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 8 th Grade Completers Cohort 2008 4-year rate: How many graduate by summer 08? 5-year rate: How many graduate by summer 09? Transfer out, death Transfer In Starting with Cohort 2008

10. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Example

11. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Oct 1, 2002 9 th grade first time Cohort 2006 4-year rate: How many graduate by summer 06? 5-year rate: How many graduate by summer 07? Transfer out, death Transfer In Adjusted Cohort 2006

12. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 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

13. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 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.

14. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 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

15. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Timeline Oct: Finalize methodology for calculating rate Nov. 15 th – Dec. 14 th : 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***

16. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Timeline (cont.) ***Dec. 19 th : Board of Education expected to discuss the use of graduation rates for AYP purposes ***Jan. 23 rd : BOE expected to vote on AYP target Dec – Jan: Department will make decisions on corrections requests, implement approved changes, and calculate rates

17. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation 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

18. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 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

19. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Data Review Application

20. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Data Review Application

21. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates Data Review Application Confidential Data Over Here Name, DOB, SASID, LASID

22. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates 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/

23. MA Department of Education Calculating Graduation Rates More Information… Commissioners 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