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High School Dropout, Graduation, and Completion Rates Better Data, Better Measures, Better Decisions (2011) / Chapter Skim
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1 Introduction
Pages 5-10

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From page 5...
... Timely high school graduation appears to be the indicator of choice. HIgH SCHOOL DROPOuT AND gRADuATION RATES Despite the strong need for sound and reliable measures of high school dropout and completion, there has been widespread disagreement among researchers, statisticians, and policy analysts about the "true" rates, how they are best measured, and what trends are evident over time.
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From page 6...
... counter that these analyses are incorrect and that the graduation rate, while still unacceptably low, has been accurately reported in national government surveys and has not changed appreciably over the past 20 years. Similar discrepancies, depending on data sources and the analyses conducted, exist in dropout and graduation estimates at state and local levels.
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From page 7...
... Efforts by the National Governors Association represent some progress toward standardizing methods for estimating graduation rates (National Governors Association Task Force on State High School Graduation Data, 2005)
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From page 8...
... The third panel focused on development of longitudinal databases and included representatives from state and local school districts, who talked about their work to develop these systems. The final panel addressed the issue of how these data systems can be used to improve policy and practice.
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From page 9...
... 2. Aggregate cohort rate: a rate designed to approximate an individual cohort rate when longitudinal data are not available by using aggre gate counts of students (e.g., number of ninth graders in a given year, number of graduates in a given year)
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From page 10...
... The workshop agenda appears in Appendix A, along with a list of workshop participants and guests. Biographical sketches of committee members and staff appear in Appendix B
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Key Terms

  • school dropout
  • school graduation
  • school diploma
  • school districts
  • graduation rates

  • panel focused
  • local school
  • administrative data
  • dropout rates
  • longitudinal data

  • dropout rate
  • national governors
  • third panel
  • governors association
  • political pressures

  • school administrative
  • school level
  • leave school
  • igh school
  • exit school

  • school equivalency
  • school credentials
  • graduation data
  • graduation rate
  • local levels

  • final panel
  • committee charge
  • committee organized
  • district estimates
  • educational progress


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