Efforts Seek Better Data on Graduates

State, Federal Plans Target High School Improvement

What is a state’s graduation rate?

North Carolina says it graduates 97 percent of its high school students, while Washington state reports it gives diplomas to just 66 percent. But researchers, using methods they believe are more accurate, estimate that the two states’ graduation rates are essentially the same, at around 64 percent.

Acknowledging that such disparities in data are common, state and federal officials are taking steps to make sure that states publish figures that compare graduation rates...