Studies Decry Faulty Graduation Data, Rising Dropout Rates

A pair of recent reports suggests that high school graduation rates may be worse than they appear in the South and across the United States.

The studies came separately last month from the Southern Regional Education Board, an Atlanta-based compact of 16 states, and the Education Trust, a Washington-based research and advocacy group.

The Education Trust report, released June 23, contends that states in all regions of the country calculate graduation rates in ways that understate dropout problems. The report also criticizes states for setting low targets for improving graduation rates under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, and the federal government for...