New Federal Rule Could Force States to Lower Graduation Rates

Education Week reports:

A little-noticed change in the country's main federal education law could force many states to lower their high school graduation rates, a politically explosive move no state would relish.

Indiana is the first state to be caught in the crosshairs of the law's new language, but other states are likely to be affected soon. The resulting debate could throw a sharp spotlight on a topic that's been lurking in the wings: the wildly varying levels of accomplishment signified by a high school diploma.
"This is about to become a national issue," said Phillip Lovell, the policy director of the Alliance for Excellent Education, an advocacy group that focuses on high school issues.

In Indiana, the state faces the prospect of having to lower its graduation rate from 89 percent to 76 percent, a move its state superintendent fears could harm its economy and reputation.
The state's in a bind because it offers several types of high school diplomas, and some are easier to earn than others. Half of Indiana's students earn the default college-prep diploma, known as the Core 40. Thirty-eight percent earn the Core 40 with honors, and 12 percent earn the "general" diploma, which has lesser requirements.

Diplomas with less-rigorous requirements are the target of new language in the Every Student Succeeds Act. The law requires states to calculate their graduation rates by including only "standard" diplomas awarded to a "preponderance" of students, or diplomas with tougher requirements.
For Indiana, that means the state might not be able to count its general diplomas. State officials are in talks with the U.S. Department of Education about that prospect. Indiana Superintendent of Schools Jennifer McCormick also reached out to Indiana's congressional delegation for help, saying in a letter last month that the lower graduation rate will put Indiana "at a national disadvantage" and would "not reflect well upon our state and could negatively impact our economy."

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