• Promotion to Middle and High School
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• Credit Accumulation
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• Credit Accumulation in Core Subject Areas
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• At Risk
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• Graduation Plan
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• Graduation Rate
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• Sources

Educators want to ensure that students make adequate growth year over year so that they can advance to the next grade level adequately prepared and ultimately graduate from high school in a timely manner. In order to transition successfully from one stage of education to the next, a student must have the appropriate skills, coursework, credits and knowledge. The following metrics help flag students who may be falling short in any of these areas. 

Monitoring completion of coursework required at each grade level is one of the most straightforward mechanisms for determining whether a student is on track for promotion. Research has demonstrated that on time coursework completion, combined with attendance and grades is a highly predictive measure of graduation and commonly used to identify ‘at risk’ students in both the middle and high school grades. 

At the high school level, tracking the level of credits earned, along with state exam proficiency, determines whether a student is on track to meet their required graduation requirements and ultimately complete high school on time. Ensuring that all young people graduate from high school is one of the most important responsibilities of the K-12 system. Graduation rate is a critical ‘high-stakes’ measure commonly used by policy makers, educators and communities as an indicator of school success. 

Introduction

Transitional years (moving from elementary to middle school or from middle school to high school) can be challenging for even the brightest students.  To be prepared for the next level, students must have mastered the coursework up through the final grade of elementary or middle school, must have passed standardized tests, and should be coming to school on a regular basis.  Educators look at these indicators to monitor whether or not students are prepared for promotions.

Introduction

All state education agencies establish graduation requirements for students attending public high schools within the state.  These requirements typically encompass both the quantity (i.e., units or credits) to be completed as well as the quality (i.e., subject area and rigor) of courses to be successfully completed by each student for a particular type of diploma.  Individual school districts may also impose additional graduation requirements beyond those set by the state.  Multiple graduation requirements necessitate close monitoring of student-level credit accumulation and course failures, ensuring students are both enrolling and succeeding in a sufficient number of eligible classes, starting in the ninth grade.  Fortunately, credit accumulation and course performance data are available at regular intervals throughout the year, allowing for mid-course correction and intervention before students become at risk of not graduating on time, or at all.

Research confirms that credit accumulation and related course performance are strongly correlated with prospects for high school graduation, as early as the ninth grade: 

• Early credit shortfalls are telltale: research among Chicago high school students suggests that students who earn fewer than five credits during their first year, and fail more than one course, are not on track to graduate.  The likelihood of an “off-track” student graduating in four years is one-quarter that for an “on-track” student (Allensworth & Easton, 2005).
• Course failures lead to credit deficits: in Chicago Public Schools, the likelihood of a student graduating from high school in four years diminishes with each course failure a student has (Allensworth & Easton 2007):
  • Zero course failures: 85% of students graduated
  • One semester course failure: 70% of students graduated
  • Two semester course failures: 55% of students graduated
  • Students with three or more failing grades are not likely to graduate

Related Metric(s)

• Credit Accumulation: Core Course Requirement:  whether or not students are on track for meeting the core course graduation requirement of earning a specific number of credits in each of the four core subjects.
• High School Graduation Plan: whether or not students are at or above the expected credit requirements in all eligible courses for their intended graduation plan.
• Subject Area/Course Grades – Failing:  whether students are failing one or more course grades, with trend comparisons to prior grading periods. 
• Course Grades - # of Course Grades Dropping 10% or Letter Grade:  whether students are experiencing declines of 10% or greater in course grades from prior grading periods and trend comparisons to prior grading periods. 
• Course Grades Near Failing:  whether students have one more or more course grades below a C level, with trend comparisons to prior grading periods.

How to Use the Metric

The Credit Accumulation metric provides educators with a quick status check on whether or not a student has sufficient credits to meet the credit requirements of the state or district graduation plan(s). Any student with a shortfall between credits earned and credits required as of the most recent grading period is immediately flagged to alert a teacher or a counselor that prompt intervention and support are needed.  Having readily identified students who are behind, educators can then review student academic history (with detailed course, credit and grade information for current and prior years) to more specifically identify the source of the credit shortfall and thus how to address it.  To fully understand each student’s progression toward meeting graduation requirements, educators should also view the Credit Accumulation: Core Course requirement and Graduation Plan metrics, which give further information on whether or not credits earned meet graduation requirements in core subjects and whether or not credits earned support the student’s intended graduation plan, if it is different from the default plan. 

In addition to tracking credit accumulation, it is important for teachers and counselors to closely monitor course performance before a course failure or credit deficit occurs at semester- or year-end.  The Class Grades metrics enable educators to easily identify students who have failing or declining grades and grades near failing at the end of each grading period in order to provide timely and appropriate support. 

Teachers should review credit accumulation, course performance detail and academic history at the end of each grading period as new results are available to ensure students are completing requisite courses on time and, if not, to pursue interventions to quickly bring students back on track. 

Metric Specifications

• Student: Credit Accumulation

Introduction

In 1996, Alabama was the first state to require students to complete four math and four science credits in addition to the already required english language arts and social studies courses in order to graduate (Cavanagh, 2009).  Subsequently, most states have moved towards a more rigorous core course requirement of either four credits in each of the four core course areas (english language arts, math, science, and social studies) or four credits in english language arts and math and some minimum number in science and social studies.  Additionally NCAA division I athletes are required to have taken 16 core courses in high school in order to meet eligibility requirements (The College Board, 2010).  Many states have also begun to require an attainment level in the core course areas (e.g. students must complete through Algebra II in order to graduate (Cavanagh, 2009)).  These new requirements are aimed at more rigorous standards for high school graduation.

Delaware has graduation requirements that require all students to earn a minimal amount of credits in certain subject areas during their high school years. 

Research confirms that credit accumulation and related course performance are strongly correlated with prospects for high school graduation, as early as the ninth grade: 

• Students who have taken three or more core courses in each area score higher on the NAEP exams on average than peers who did not (NCES, 2005).
• Students taking the recommended minimum number of core courses are better prepared for college as measured by the ACT® than their peers who do not meet the minimum (ACT, 2005).  Moreover, students who take more than the minimum requirement of core courses score even higher (ACT, 2005).
• The total number of credits earned is not as predictive of postsecondary success as the quality and rigorous sequence of those credits (ACT, 2005).
• Early credit shortfalls are telltale: research among Chicago high school students suggests that students who earn fewer than five credits during their first year, and fail more than one course, are not on track to graduate.  The likelihood of an “off-track” student graduating in four years is one-quarter that for an “on-track” student (Allensworth & Easton, 2005).
• Course failures lead to credit deficits and failure to meet graduation requirements: in Chicago Public Schools, the likelihood of a student graduating from high school in four years diminishes with each course failure a student has (Allensworth & Easton, 2007):
  • Zero course failures: 85% of students graduated
  • One semester course failure: 70% of students graduated
  • Two semester course failures: 55% of students graduated
  • Students with three or more failing grades are not likely to graduate

Related Metric(s)

• Credit Accumulation: whether or not students are at or above their grade level based on cumulative number of credits earned as of each grading based on the default state graduation plan.
• High School Graduation Plan: whether or not students are at or above the expected credit requirements in all eligible courses for their intended graduation plan.
• Subject Area/Course Grades – Failing:  whether students are failing one or more course grades, with trend comparisons to prior grading periods. 
• Course Grades - # of Course Grades Dropping 10% or Letter Grade:  whether students are experiencing declines of 10% or greater in course grades from prior grading periods and trend comparisons to prior grading periods. 
• Course Grades Near Failing:  whether students have one more or more course grades near failing, with trend comparisons to prior grading periods.

How to Use the Metric

The Credit Accumulation: Core Course Requirement metric provides educators with a quick status check on whether or not students are on track to meet graduation requirements, based on credits accumulated and the nature of courses taken as of the prior year-end.  Any shortfall between credits earned and credits required in any of the required subject areas is immediately flagged to alert educators that prompt intervention and support are needed.  Having readily identified students who are behind, educators can then review student academic history (with detailed course, credit and grade information for current and prior years) to more specifically identify the source of the credit shortfall and thus how to address it. To fully understand the student’s progression toward meeting graduation requirements, educators should also view the High School Graduation metric, which reports whether or not credits earned meet the requirements of the student’s intended graduation plan. 

In addition to monitoring on track indicators and credit accumulation, it is important for teachers and counselors to closely watch course performance before a course failure or credit deficit occurs at semester- or year-end.  The Class Grades metrics enable educators to easily identify students who have failing or declining grades and grades near failing at the end of each grading period to provide timely and appropriate support. 

Teachers and counselors should review on track and high school graduation plan information at the beginning of each year.  In addition, credit accumulation and course performance detail should be reviewed at the end of each grading period as new results are available to ensure students are completing requisite courses on time and, if not, to pursue interventions to quickly bring students back on track. 

Metric Specifications

Introduction

Leading districts such as Chicago and New York have used ‘at risk’ indicators – sometimes referred to as “early warning systems” - to identify students who are at risk of dropping out of school.  The most common group of indicators used to identify ‘at risk’ students includes: class period or daily absences, course grades or GPA, and failed courses.  These three indicators have been shown to be more highly correlated with dropping out than prior academic success or a student’s demographic background (Allensworth & Easton, 2007).  Identifying these ‘at risk’ students early allows educators the opportunity to intervene and steer them for success. 

Delaware has implemented the Delaware Early Warning System (DEWS), which tracks four key metrics to identify at risk students:  Attendance, Math, ELA, and Retained status.  Variables are computed in each of these areas and warnings are issued when the values are below standard.

Introduction

All state education agencies establish graduation requirements for students attending public high schools within the state.  These requirements typically encompass both the quantity (i.e., units or credits) to be completed as well as the quality (i.e., subject area and rigor) of courses to be successfully completed by each student for a particular type of diploma, or graduation plan.  Individual school districts may also impose additional graduation requirements beyond those set by the state.  Multiple graduation requirements necessitate close monitoring of student-level credit accumulation and course failures, ensuring students are both enrolling and succeeding in a sufficient number of eligible classes, starting in the ninth grade.  As discussed in the previous sections the number of credits earned, type of credits, and grades in those courses are contributing factors for postsecondary success as well as at-risk indicators for dropping out (ACT, 2005; Allensworth & Easton, 2005; Allensworth & Easton, 2007; NCES, 2005).

Related Metric(s)

• Credit Accumulation: whether or not students are at or above their grade level based on cumulative number of credits earned as of each grading based on the default state graduation plan.
• Credit Accumulation: Core Course Requirement:  whether or not students are on track for meeting the core course graduation requirement of earning a specific number of credits in each of the core subjects.
• Subject Area/Course Grades – Failing:  whether students are failing one or more course grades, with trend comparisons to prior grading periods. 
• Course Grades - # of Course Grades Dropping 10% or Letter Grade:  whether students are experiencing declines of 10% or greater in course grades from prior grading periods and trend comparisons to prior grading periods. 
• Course Grades Near Failing:  whether students have one more or more course grades near failing, with trend comparisons to prior grading periods.

How to Use the Metric

The High School Graduation Plan metric provides educators with a quick status check on whether or not a student has sufficient credits, as of the prior year-end, to meet the credit requirements of their intended graduation plan.  Any student with a shortfall between credits earned and credits required for their plan is immediately flagged to alert educators that prompt intervention and support are needed.  Having readily identified students who are behind, educators can then review student academic history (with detailed course, credit and grade information for current and prior years) to more specifically identify the source of the credit shortfall and thus how to address it.  To fully understand each student’s progression toward meeting graduation requirements, educators should also view the Credit Accumulation: Core Course Requirement metric, which gives further information on whether or not credits earned also meet graduation requirements in core subjects each year. 

In addition to monitoring on track indicators and credit accumulation, it is important for teachers and counselors to closely watch course performance before a course failure or credit deficit occurs at semester- or year-end.  The Class Grades metrics in the student dashboard enable educators to easily identify students who have failing or declining grades and grades near failing at the end of each grading period in order to provide timely and appropriate support. 

Teachers and counselors should review on track and high school graduation plan information at the beginning of each year.  In addition, credit accumulation and course performance detail should be reviewed at the end of each grading period as new results are available to ensure students are completing requisite courses on time and, if not, to pursue interventions to quickly bring students back on track. 

Introduction

Graduating students with the knowledge and skills that prepare them for the challenges that come after high school is the primary purpose of any high school.   Graduation or completion rates are a fundamental indicator of whether the nation’s public school system is doing what it is intended to do:  enroll, engage, and educate youth to be productive members of society (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2008).  

Since its passage in 2001, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has used graduation rates as one of several factors in determining whether a school meets its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets.  Furthermore, a 2008 update of the Title I provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires states to set graduation rate goals and hold all schools accountable for meeting them.  Schools that fall short of the goal can fulfill accountability expectations if they meet an improvement target set by the state. 

Under NCLB, the U.S. Department of Education allows each state to determine which graduation rate formula it uses based on the type of data available.  While most states have varying definitions, the most common formula is based on the basic premise that first time entering 9^th grade students graduate within a four year period.  Graduation formulas are often complex due to the number of factors that determine eligibility and the challenges with obtaining accurate data.  Calculations used by states and districts continue to be updated as student tracking systems become more accurate and advanced.  The benefit of having a common data standard, such as the TSDS Canonical Data Model (CDM), is that these calculations can be easily modified to adapt to future changes.  Graduation rates have and will continue to be an important indicator of whether schools are effective or on the road to becoming more effective through interventions and programs. 

Related Metric(s)

• Credit Accumulation: whether or not students are at or above their grade level based on cumulative number of credits earned as of each grading based on the default state graduation plan.
• Credit Accumulation: Core Course Requirement:  whether or not students are on track for meeting the core course graduation requirement of earning a specific number of credits in each of the four core subjects.
• Subject Area/Course Grades – Failing:  whether students are failing one or more course grades, with trend comparisons to prior grading periods. 
• Course Grades - # of Course Grades Dropping 10% or Letter Grade:  whether students are experiencing declines of 10% or greater in course grades from prior grading periods and trend comparisons to prior grading periods. 
• Course Grades Near Failing:  whether students have one more or more course grades near failing, with trend comparisons to prior grading periods.
• High School Dropout Rate: the number of students who have dropped out of high school. 

How to Use the Metric

The Graduation Rate metric is crucial at the campus level and above.  Educators should view the metric annually to determine whether students are not just graduating, but graduating within four years of entering the ninth grade.  Educators can implement a number of interventions that target the related metrics in order to improve this indicator. 

ACT. (2005). Courses Count Preparing Students for Postsecondary Success. ACT.

ACT. (2005, Winter). Crisis at the Core—Preparing All Students for College and Work. Retrieved December 6, 2010, from ACT: http://www.act.org/activity/winter2005/crisis.html

Allensworth, E., & Easton, J. (2005). The On Track Indicator as a Predictor of High School Graduation. Chicago: Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago.

Allensworth, E., & Easton, J. (2007). What Matters for Staying On Track and Graduating in Chicago's Public Schools: A Close Look at Course Grades, Failures, and Attendance in the Freshman Year.

Alliance for Excellent Education. (2008). Every Student Counts—The Case for Graduation Rate Accountability. Alliance for Excellent Education.

Cavanagh, S. (2009). The Four Year Plan. Education Week, 26-31.

NCES. (2005). The Nation's Report Card. Washington DC: National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education.

The College Board. (2010). NCAA Coursework Requirements. Retrieved December 6, 2010, from The College Board: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/prepare/athletes/ncaa