A story in the March 11, 2009, issue of Education Week incorrectly identified the author of a report on out-of-school factors that are critical to students’ learning. The author is David C. Berliner.
A story in the same issue about Chicago’s effort to use data to track and help freshmen transposed the “on-track rates” for the district and Kelvyn Park High School. It should have said that at the end of the first semester, 84.5 percent of Kelvyn Park High’s freshmen were on track to graduate in four years, compared with 73.6 percent two years ago. The accompanying chart, with correct figures, is below.
Keeping an Eye Out The school district gathers statistics to gauge whether 9th graders are accumulating enough credit to graduate in four years.
Note: Chicago’s first-semester on-track rate is calculated by looking at the grades and credit accumulation of freshmen at the end of the first semester and projecting what portion are on track to graduate in four years. It does not include dropouts, students who transfer if their receiving schools cannot be verified, or students who are repeating 9th grade. The district’s official freshman on-track rate, calculated at the end of the year, is based on final grades and credit accumulation, and factors in dropouts and unverified transfers.
SOURCE: Chicago Public Schools Office of High Schools and High School Programs
