Submitting and Publicly Reporting Data about High School Completion Credentials

2003-04 and Beyond

School districts submitting student data through the Individual Student Enrollment System (ISES) in the fall of each school year must select one and only one high school completion credential type for each student who completed high school. These high school credential completion types will be submitted through the ISES for the first time in the fall of 2004. The following information is designed to assist in the description of the choices available.

USES: These credential types will be used to determine completion and graduation rates for Wisconsin School Performance Report, ESEA Report Card, and AYP Purposes. The exit date associated with the credential determines the school year school year during which the credential is earned. If the exit date is before the beginning of the school term for school year X+1, then high school completion credential is counted as earned in school year X. This is because some students may earn their credential during summer school.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION CREDENTIALS

1. The term "regular high school diploma" means the standard high school diploma that is awarded to students in the State and that is fully aligned with the State's academic content standards or a higher diploma and does not include a General Educational Development (GED) credential, certificate of attendance, or any alternative award. (Federal Regulations - 34 C.F.R. §200.19(b)(1)(iv)),

2. Special education students are entitled to FAPE until they are granted a diploma by a school board under s. 118.33 (1)(a) or (d) Wis. Stats. or until they reach the maximum age of eligibility.

3. Completion of HSED programs includes GED testing as a last step so students are not expected to exit high school with a GED certificate only. [More]

4. Credential Type R should be used for successful GED Option #2 completers because these students are granted regular high school diplomas meeting the requirements of §118.33 (1) (a) or (d), Wis. Stats.

5. Pursuant to NCLB, AYP is based on the percent of students who were granted a regular diploma. Only students who received regular diplomas are counted in the numerator of the graduation rate formula.

NOTES ABOUT PUBLIC REPORTING OF HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION RATES

1. 2003-04 and beyond. High school graduation/completion legacy rates are reported according to a formula used since 2003-04. Wisconsin plans to continue using this 2003-04 formula to calculate legacy ratesuntil 2011-12 when sufficient data become available to calculate a 6-year adjusted cohort graduation rate. A mockup of a sample report is provided below.
   

   Graduation/Completion Report Mockup - Legacy Rates

   Timeframe: All Timeframes • Four-Year Rate • Six-Year Rate • Legacy Rate (By Age 21)
   View By: All Students • Gender • Race/Ethnicity • Disability • Economic Status • English Proficiency
   Compare To: Prior Years • District/State • Selected Schools • Current Data Only

   Legacy Graduation/Completion Rates - All Students Pine Forest High School Year X Compared to District/State
   		Noncompleters			Completers
   	Total Expected to Complete High School	% Not Known to be Continuing	% Reached Maximum Age	% Known to be Continuing	% Certificates	% HSEDs	% Regular Diplomas (Graduates)
   Pine Forest School	###	#.#%	#.#%	#.#%	#.#%	#.#%	##.#%
   Big Woods District	###	#.#%	#.#%	#.#%	#.#%	#.#%	##.#%
   WI Public Schools	###	#.#%	#.#%	#.#%	#.#%	#.#%	##.#%

   Terms and Definitions - Legacy Rates

   Total Expected to Complete High School. Count of students who were expected to complete high school in school year X whether or not the students actually did. All students who enter high school are expected to complete high school. Total expected to complete high school is the denominator used to calculate graduation and completion rates. For Legacy Rates, this total is the sum of

   • the dropouts over four years (also known as cohort dropouts) plus
   • students who reached the maximum age without completing high school plus
   • high school completers (any credential).

   Not Known to be Continuing. Status of a high school noncompleter who, as of the end of the timeframe, was not known to be continuing in high school. For Legacy Rates, any cohort dropout is counted in this column.

   Cohort Dropouts. Cohort dropouts in year X include year X-3 9th grade dropouts, year X-2 10th grade dropouts, year X-1 11th grade dropouts, and year X 12th grade dropouts.

   Reached the Maximum Age. Status of a student who turned 21 prior to the beginning of the school term X+1 without completing high school. These students are counted as students who reached the maximum age during school year X. (Article 10 of the Wisconsin Constitution guarantees the right to a free education through age 20.)

   Known to be Continuing. Status of a high school noncompleter who, as of the end of the timeframe, was known to be continuing high school. For Legacy Rates, this status does not apply because noncompleters are either cohort dropouts or students who reached the maximum age. (This column is included in graduation/completion reports because it is used in the reporting of adjusted cohort graduation/completion rates.)

   High School Completers. Students who, in Year X, earned any completion credential in WI public schools. Students who earned regular diplomas are counted as graduates. Credentials earned by students during the summer session immediately following Year X are counted as completers in Year X.

   Complete cohort dropout data across all four high school grades were not be available in ISES until after 2007-08 dropout data were collected. Until that time, final rates will included grade-level dropout counts submitted by your district in past years as part of the WI SPR aggregate collection. Dropout counts by grade are available on WINSS.

2. 2009-10 and beyond. Wisconsin began reporting adjusted cohort graduation/completion rates beginning with 2009-10 4-year rates. Beginning with 2011-12 rates, Wisconsin plans to report both 4-year and 6-year adjusted cohort rates. See also:

   Graduation/Completion Report Mockup - Adjusted Cohort Rates

   Terms and Definitions - Adjusted Cohort Rates

EXCERPTS FROM WISCONSIN STATUTES

§115.29 (4) HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION EQUIVALENCY.
(a) Grant declarations of equivalency of high school graduation to persons, if in the state superintendent's judgment they have presented satisfactory evidence of high school courses completed in high schools recognized by the proper authorities as accredited, results of examinations given by or at the request of the state superintendent, successful completion of correspondence study courses given by acceptable correspondence study schools, a general educational development certificate of high school equivalency issued by an agency of the U.S. government, course credits received in schools meeting the approval of the state superintendent or other standards established by the state superintendent.

§118.15 COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE (1)
(c) 2. Upon the child's request and with the written approval of the child's parent or guardian, any child who is 17 years of age or over may be excused by the school board from regular school attendance if the child and his or her parent or guardian agree, in writing, that the child will participate in a program or curriculum modification under par. (d) leading to the child's high school graduation or leading to a high school equivalency diploma under §115.29(4).

118.33 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION STANDARDS; CRITERIA FOR PROMOTION. (1)
(a) Except as provided in par. (d), a school board may not grant a high school diploma to any pupil unless the pupil has earned:1. In the high school grades, at least 4 credits of English including writing composition, 3 credits of social studies including state and local government, 2 credits of mathematics, 2 credits of science and 1.5 credits of physical education.2. In grades 7 to 12, at least 0.5 credit of health education.(am) The state superintendent shall encourage school boards to require an additional 8.5 credits selected from any combination of vocational education, foreign languages, fine arts and other courses.
(b) A school board may not grant a high school diploma to any pupil unless, during the high school grades, the pupil has been enrolled in a class or has participated in an activity approved by the school board during each class period of each school day, or the pupil has been enrolled in an alternative education program, as defined in s. 115.28 (7) (e) 1. Nothing in this paragraph prohibits a school board from establishing a program that allows a pupil enrolled in the high school grades who has demonstrated a high level of maturity and personal responsibility to leave the school premises for up to one class period each day if the pupil does not have a class scheduled during that class period.
(c) A school board may require a pupil to participate in community service activities in order to receive a high school diploma.
(d) A school board may grant a high school diploma to a pupil who has not satisfied the requirements under par. (a) if all of the following apply:1. The pupil was enrolled in an alternative education program, as defined in s. 115.28 (7) (e) 1.2. The school board determines that the pupil has demonstrated a level of proficiency in the subjects listed in par. (a) equivalent to that which he or she would have attained if he or she had satisfied the requirements under par. (a).

See also:
Chapter PI 5 - High School Equivalency Diplomas and Certificates of General Educational Development
Chapter PI 18 - High School Graduation Standards
Understanding High School Completion Data
Title I Regulations (See § 200.19)
High School Graduation Rate, Non-Regulatory Guidance

For questions about this information, contact Shiela A. Coulton (608) 224-5395

Last updated on 6/21/2011 9:48:20 AM