Advocates for Disabled Students Cheer Graduation Rule

Ed. Department calls for emphasis on leaving school in four years.

The U.S. Department of Education’s recent regulations setting a standard calculation for high school graduation rates appear to have pleased disability-group advocates, who were concerned that a loose standard could mean fewer opportunities for students with disabilities to earn a regular diploma.

The regulations, published in the Federal Register Oct. 29, will be one of the last changes the Bush administration makes to the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Among other revisions, the department attempted to bring clarity to the way high school graduation rates are calculated. Though graduation rates must be reported under the NCLB law, many states had slightly different ways of tracking their...