The Unintended Consequences for English Learners of Using the Four-Year Graduation Rate for School Accountability

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Author
Author
Sugarman, Julie
Institutional Author
Migration Policy Institute
Details
Resource Type
Report
Acquisition Number
213
Published Date
06-19-2019 3:53 PM
Published Year
2019
Number of Pages
43
Language(s)
Subscription Only
No
Abstract
High school graduation rates for English learners (ELs) have risen in recent years to 67% in 2015-2016. However, the rate for ELs is far below the 84% graduation rate for all students. The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) requires states to report their adjusted cohort graduation rates (ACGR) which only counts students who graduate within four years, regardless of the subgroup they belong to. ESSA allows states to supplement the ACGR data with an extended-year rate for students who take longer than four years. However, 16 states and the District of Columbia opted not to use the extended-year rate which could benefit ELs. This paper discusses the factors that can lead to ELs taking more than four years to graduate.
Topics
Graduation and Dropout Rates
Federal Policy
English Learners
English Learners