The release of Diplomas Count 2006 highlighted the variety of methods used to calculate graduation rates, and the discrepancies they create. A variety of measurement methods are employed because systems that track individual students (known as longitudinal data systems) are only now starting to be implemented. In a 2006 survey, the EPE Research Center found that 37 states link exit data to a unique student identifier, but a survey conducted by Achieve this year revealed that only three states have a longitudinal data system in place to track students as they move from kindergarten through college.
Copyright 2006 Education Week (//www.edweek.org)
To find out more about graduation policies and technology in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, access the Education Counts database.
