[AAACE-NLA] Counting dropouts and graduates: still more people left behind

[David Rosen]

Colleagues,

Under a new federal effort to standardize how high school graduation  
rates are calculated nationwide, students who leave school and later  
graduate from adult education programs will still be considered  
dropouts. "In an effort to get a true picture of the nation's high  
school dropout crisis, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings  
announced last week that she will require all states to use a single  
federal formula to calculate graduation and dropout rates, forcing  
some states to completely revamp their data processing systems.  
Spellings did not release the specific formula she will require but  
referenced the National Governors Association's graduation rate as a  
model...."

Would such a regulation affect funding for adult education in your  
state? Would it affect how people view the GED or an adult diploma  
awarded by a public high school?

This would increase the national dropout rate, reported recently in  
the America's Promise Alliance study as 30% on average, 50%  in  
cities. If GED and adult diploma holders are counted as dropouts that  
would increase the dropout rate more.

Several years of  "No Child Left Behind"  appear to be leaving many  
more people behind.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080407/ 
NEWS03/804070336

Short form of Web Address:
http://tinyurl.com/5xk7e2

David J. Rosen
Adult Literacy Advocate
DJRosen at theworld.com