The State of Idaho calculates Graduation Rates for each Idaho high school using data submitted about dropouts and completers by individual districts. Graduation Rate is used as the third academic indicator (ISAT math and reading are the first two) in evaluating the school's status for Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind law. The formula for calculating graduation rate is one devised by the National Center for Education Statistics, and can be summed up as follows: Number of Completers (Year 4) divided by (Number of Completers (Year 4) + Gr. 9 Dropouts (Year 1) + Gr. 10 Dropouts (Year 2) + Gr. 11 Dropouts (Year 3) + Gr. 12 Dropouts (Year 4)).

One weakness of the NCES formula is that a student may be counted as a dropout more than once if he/she drops during a given year, reenrolls the following year, and drops again. The Boise District tracks dropouts closely, and has successfully appealed dropout status in many cases.

updated 3/5/07

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