NCLB guidance on graduation rates issued

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has issued non-regulatory guidance on its recently published regulations regarding the “other academic indicators” that states use in defining “adequate yearly progress” (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The new amendments included new requirements for calculating the high school graduation rate, which is an academic indicator for determining high school AYP. The guidance provides states, local school districts, and schools with information about how to implement the provisions. Section A of the guidance defines the “four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate,” the “extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate,” and the transitional graduation rates that are allowable until states must implement the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate. Section B guides states in setting a single graduation rate goal and annual graduation rate targets. Section C outlines requirements for reporting graduation rates. Section D answers questions about how states include the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate and any extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate in AYP determinations, including the use of disaggregated rates for student subgroups. Section E provides information about how a state must revise its “Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook” under NCLB to include certain information and submit its revisions to ED for technical assistance and peer review. Section F clarifies the timeline for implementing the new graduation rate provisions, as well as the process for how a state that cannot meet the deadlines outlined in the final regulations may request an extension of time to meet the requirements. More resources on the regulations and on high school graduation rates are at the second link.

ED non-regulatory guidance
NSBA School Law pages on NCLB final regulations