From guest blogger, P-T education reporter Kevin Butler:
State education officials this week will release the latest high-school drop-out rates, calculated using a new system that authorities say will result in a more accurate count than ever before.
The California Department of Education is using a new system that assigns unique identifying numbers to each student in order to track students over time.
The system will allow the state to follow a student as he or she moves between districts, receives a diploma, drops out, or pursues some other education program, like a GED.
The system also will allow officials to track the reasons for a student's no longer attending a school district, such as the student's moving to a new district, entering a medical treatment facility or failing the high school exit exam.
School districts previously relied partly on parents to reveal whether a child who was no longer attending had dropped out, transferred to another district or pursued other routes of education.
But the state did not have a system to double-check whether, in fact, the student ended up where his or her parents indicated, leading to a potential undercounting of dropouts in some cases.
The new system's unique student identifiers allow the state and districts to more accurately track students' sometimes unexpected movements.
State authorities have not said what day this week the data will be released for individual districts and high schools.
Keep reading the Press-Telegram to see drop-out rates in your area.
State education officials this week will release the latest high-school drop-out rates, calculated using a new system that authorities say will result in a more accurate count than ever before.
The California Department of Education is using a new system that assigns unique identifying numbers to each student in order to track students over time.
The system will allow the state to follow a student as he or she moves between districts, receives a diploma, drops out, or pursues some other education program, like a GED.
The system also will allow officials to track the reasons for a student's no longer attending a school district, such as the student's moving to a new district, entering a medical treatment facility or failing the high school exit exam.
School districts previously relied partly on parents to reveal whether a child who was no longer attending had dropped out, transferred to another district or pursued other routes of education.
But the state did not have a system to double-check whether, in fact, the student ended up where his or her parents indicated, leading to a potential undercounting of dropouts in some cases.
The new system's unique student identifiers allow the state and districts to more accurately track students' sometimes unexpected movements.
State authorities have not said what day this week the data will be released for individual districts and high schools.
Keep reading the Press-Telegram to see drop-out rates in your area.
Paul Eakins reports on Long Beach City Hall, and local and regional
politics. A newcomer to the Press-
Kris Hanson reports on the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles,
covering environmental issues, economic triumphs and
pitfalls and trade trends of America’s largest port.
He also writes a weekly column “On The Waterfront”,
appearing Tuesdays, and also produces an occassional video
and column titled “On The Job,” which follows the hard-working
men and women who keep Southern California’s economy humming.
Karen Robes Meeks came to work for the Press-
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