This is a must read for all administrators, high school teachers, and counselors. The following are notes (thoughts) from a meeting that I attended this week. We will discuss these points in our October Leadership Meeting and the principals will convey expectations to each school's staff.
s Last
year, the ALSDE, based on data submitted
by the local systems, corrected over 18,000 students.
s This
year, the local school, not the ALSDE, will make the changes to students within
the graduation cohort.
s The
school will maintain documentation (e.g.
proof, evidence). The State may request
evidence.
s The
school must consider every subpopulation within the cohort (i.e. Hispanic, ELL,
special education, free and reduced...).
s The
National Governors’ Association recommended a consistent standard means of
determining the four-year rate
graduation rate. All but one State
participated. Last year was the first year
that Alabama participated in this new rate.
s The
four year cohort graduation rate is a rate that is reflective of the percent of
students that graduate with a diploma "on time." When a student starts in the ninth grade, the student must finish in
four years.
s The
four-year rate is determined by the number of "on-time" graduates
divided by the number of first time entered ninth graders, adjusted for
transfers in and out.
s This
year we will report both four-year and five-year cohort graduation rates.
s The
five-year cohort, 2010-2011 data, is available to review and determine: still
enrolled, no show, withdrawn, missing records, or dropouts.
s Non-graduates
(count against us) are those:
s still
enrolled: who do not meet requirements
for graduation within four years but remain enrolled in school and are
working toward completion of requirements, this includes special education
students who are served until age 21
s no
shows: leave over the summer and never returns to complete an official
transfer or drop-out form
s withdrawn-
these students are still in the cohort but records are not requested or sent to
transfer school. School does not have
documentation to support that the student transferred.
s missing
records- no record exists for a student in the 9th month attendance extract
from INOW as reported by the LEA.
s drop-out-
someone who was enrolled in the previous school year and was not enrolled
at the beginning of the current school year.
Also, does not meet any of the
criteria above or:
s Transfers
to another public school, private school state approved education program,
temporary absence due to suspension or school approved illness or death.
s JF
Ingram (male only) and DYS are the only prison facilities that an incarcerated
student can attend and not count against you.
A court order documentation is allowable regarding the aforementioned.
s completers:
students that finish with any document other than a diploma.
s AOD
was accepted last and hopefully will count this year.
s These
students will count as a graduate in the cohort:
s 01- Graduate with AL High School Diploma
s 02- Graduate with AL High School Diploma w
Advanced Endorsement
s 05- Graduate- AOD
s 06- Graduate-
AL High School Diploma w Career tech Endorsement
s 07- Graduate-
AL High School Diploma w Advanced Career Tech Endorsement
s 13- Graduate-
AL High School Credit Based Diploma
s 14- AL High School Diploma w Advanced Academic
And And Advanced Career Tech Endorsements
s This
year's four-year cohort entered grade 9 in 2008-2009. To count as a graduate, the student must meet
the requirements (e.g. received diploma during summer school) before September
1).
s The
first task is determine if the student belongs in the cohort.
s The
web portal will open perhaps in October and to close perhaps in February 2013
(not April as last year).
