WASHINGTON, DC –District of Columbia High School Students graduated in 2010-2011 at a percentage higher than originally reported under revised U.S. Department of Education criteria, according to results released today by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Results are statewide and represent D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) and Public Charter Schools.
“Today’s report reflects OSSE’s commitment to transparency,” said State Superintendent Hosanna Mahaley, noting that the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) method now required for all states by the U.S. Department of Education establishes a national standard for high school graduation rate reporting.
Under the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate, ‘cohort’ students beginning as first-time 9th graders in 2007–2008 were tracked and compared against the total number of students who graduated from high school with a regular diploma during the 2010-2011 academic year, the inaugural control period for ACGR computation.
As calculated by the ACGR, 58.6% of District students graduated from high school on a four-year, on-time schedule in 2010-2011, exceeding the 43% adjusted cohort average reported by Education Week’s Quality Counts National Highlights Report in January 2012.
Overall, 21 out of 29 District of Columbia high schools rated above the state average, with 6 area high schools ranking over 90% and DCPS’ Benjamin Banneker High School achieving an impressive 100% graduation rate.
In praising the high schools receiving high marks, Mahaley also cited OSSE’s expanding Student Longitudinal Education Database (SLED) to track District school enrollment and attendance records, describing the adjusted cohort rate as a value-add for schools to better utilize intervention programs and improve student outcomes.
“OSSE is committed to sharing data and supporting Local Education Agencies with user-friendly and reliable data to advance education in the District of Columbia; the 2011 Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate findings allow us to do just that.”
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