Starting with the 2010-2011 school year the U.S. Department of Education requires all 50 states report graduation data using a standard calculation that ensures graduation rates are comparable nationwide. Missouri released its updated standard calculation for the 2010-2011 school year on December 1st, 2011.
Because individual states use different methods, the U. S. Department of Education has struggled to present a fair, accurate picture of U.S. education and graduation success. "The new four-year rate provides an additional way of looking at our graduation data," said Commissioner of Education Chris L. Nicastro. "We recognize that not all students will graduate from high school in four years, but by using data effectively, we can identify the characteristics of students who may be at risk or may take longer to succeed. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure each child will graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and a career."
The primary difference in calculating the new graduation rate is in the definition of cohort (a group of children having approximately the same age) among the 50 states. The new "four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate" narrows the definition of cohort to when the student first enters high school. The rate is now calculated using the number of students who begin and graduate within four years and includes adjustments for student transfers.
The change for Missouri means that a cohort is no longer defined upon graduation that included students who needed more than four years to graduate from high school. Under the old calculation, Missouri's traditional graduation rate has increased from 82.4 percent in 2002 to 86.4 percent in 2011. Using the new four-year calculation, Missouri's 2011 statewide rate is preliminarily reported at 79.8 percent.
For the St Louis and surrounding area school districts, the 2011 graduation rate using the new formula is 81.3%, down 6.73% from the non-standard graduation rate of 88.05%.
The four-year rates, which also include subgroups, will not have any federal accountability implications for states or schools until next year. However, Missouri has received approval from the U.S. Department of Education to use a five-year graduation rate for 2012.
The best and worse school districts in St Louis and surrounding areas
View all school districts in Missouri:
Top 10 by 20 dashboard at dese.mo.gov/top10by20
District- and school-level reports MCDS portal at mcds.dese.mo.gov.
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