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Home > Data Center > Student Data > Who is a Dropout? How is Graduation Rate calculated?

Who is a Dropout?

DEFINITION

Title 20-A:
Part 3: ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Chapter 211: ATTENDANCE
Subchapter 3: DROPOUTS
§5102. Definitions

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/Statutes/20-A/title20-Asec5102.html

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, a "dropout" means any person who has withdrawn for any reason except death, or been expelled from school before graduation or completion of a program of studies and who has not enrolled in another educational institution or program. [1989, c. 415, §28 (AMD).]

 

BASED UPON THIS RULE:

The individual was enrolled in school at some time during the previous school year and was not enrolled on October 1 of the current school year, or was not enrolled on October 1 of the previous school year although expected to be in membership (i.e., was not reported as a dropout the year before).

Example 1: A student enrolls in Grade 11 in September 2007, leaves school in January 2008, is not in membership on October 1, 2008, and whereabouts unknown. This student will be reported as a school year 2007-2008 Grade 11 dropout.

Example 2:A student completes Grade 11 in June 2007, but is not enrolled in Grade 12 on October 1, 2008, and whereabouts unknown. This student will be reported as a school year 2008-2009 Grade 12 dropout.

 

Exit Codes

 

EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE

  • Graduation from high school or completion of a state or school unit approved educational program.
  • Transfer to another public school administrative unit, private school, or state or school unit approved educational program. If the student was exited as transfer to another public school in the same State (Exit Code 02) AND there is no enrollment for this student the following school year, than the school the student last attended will be charged a dropout unless said school can supply a signed "Request for Records" from the Maine school that requested the transfer.
  • Temporary school-recognized absence due to expulsion or illness. In the case of expulsion, once the expulsion period is over, the student will be expected to enroll in a school. If the student does not, a dropout will be applied to the last school attended. If a student has exited from either expulsion or illness the student status must be re-examined the following school year. If the student does not return, the student will then be counted as a dropout unless the student is again determined to be expelled or not able to attend due to illness.
  • Transfer to a Home School Program. However, if the student was exited as transfer to home schooling (Exit Code 13), AND the Maine Dept of Education does not receive a "Letter of Intent to Home School" from the parent/guardian, then the student will be considered a dropout from the school the student last attended until such time that the "Letter of Intent to Home School" is received.
  • Death.

Adult Education programs:
Students who leave school and enroll in adult education programs are counted as dropouts.

What is Maine's Graduation Rate?

NEW Method of Calculation beginning with the 2007/08 school year:

The definition of high school graduation rate is to compare the number of students that entered ninth grade with the number that receive a regular high school diploma in accordance with 05-071 CMR Ch. 127 by the end of the fourth year after entering ninth grade for the first time. For students with an IEP or LEP students with Personal Learning Plan that extends the time to earn a high school diploma, up to six years can be allowed and will be also counted separately. Extending the timeframe for completion allows this federal accountability criterion to align with Maine’s established accountability system.

Maine will determine the graduation rate as follows:

The denominator will include all the cohort of all first-time ninth graders from four years earlier plus all transfers into this cohort minus all transfers out (e.g. death, emigrated to another country, etc.). The numerator will include only *regular diploma” recipients from the four year cohort.. Regular diplomas include diplomas received by Special Education students granted five/six years by their IEP and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Education students granted five/six years as part of their documented Personal Learning Plans. In both of these cases the students will have met the requirements of the Maine Learning Results Standards. These cases will also be tabulated separately to allow them to be extracted to allow calculation of a pure four year cohort graduation rate as necessary. This will then satisfy both NGA and NCLB graduation requirements while aligning with Maine’s established accountability system

05-071 CMR Ch.

Chapter 127 Section 7.02.B states:

“The intent of the system of Learning Results is to provide the time that students need in order to meet the content standards.  This may involve more or less than the typical four years of secondary school.” Students who receive a GED or Adult Education Diploma are not counted as having received a high school diploma under this category.

NEW Graduation Rate Formula:

Graduation Rate Formula

For graduation rate for the class of 2008, Maine compared the number of students who entered ninth grade for the first time four years earlier in the fall of 2004 and received a “regular” diploma in 2008. For this calculation the denominator contains the cohort of all first time ninth graders from four years earlier plus all transfers into this cohort minus all transfers out (e.g. death, moving to another Maine school). The numerator contained only “regular” diploma recipients from the four year cohort. “Regular” diplomas include diplomas received by SWD students granted five/six years by their IEP, and Limited English Proficient (LEP) students granted five/six years as part of their documented Personal Learning Plans. In both of these cases the students met the requirements of the Maine Learning Results. These five/six year “regular” diploma recipients are tabulated separately allowing them to be extracted in order to produce a four-year cohort graduation rate. This approach satisfies both the NGA and NCLB graduation requirements while aligning with Maine’s practice of allowing SWD and LEP students more than four years to meet Maine’s “regular” diploma standards.

Old method of calculating the Maine Graduation Rate:

Prior to 2008, Maine’s calculation for the graduation rate for the years 04-05, 05-06 and 06-07 were as follows:

  • The numerator is the total graduates of year n.
  • The denominator is the sum of the total graduates of year n + the sum of the total completers of year n plus the sum of Grade 12 dropouts of year n + the sum of Grade 11 dropouts of year n-1 + the sum of Grade 10 dropouts of year n-2 + the sum of Grade 9 dropouts of year n-3 Graduates Yearn

OLD Graduation Rate Formula

 

The above formula was known as the Maine Completion rate. This rate included "Other Completers" as well as regular graduates in the denominator whereas beginning in 2008, Maine will only be counting on-time graduates as those who receive a regular diploma (Exit Code 15).