Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rates and ESSA School Index

Arkansas will use the four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate and the five-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate in the ESSA School Index. Both the four-year and five-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate will be directly integrated into the ESSA School Index by multiplying each rate by the weight assigned: 10 percent for four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate and five percent for five-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate. The total points possible for each Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate would reflect the weight assigned, 10 and five, respectively.

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rates would function as continuous values in the total ESSA School Index adjusted by weight for the indicator. For example, a school with a four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate of 85 would earn 85 points adjusted by the assigned weight of 10 percent which would result in the four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate contributing 8.5 points to the overall score. A five-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate of 96 at an assigned rate of five percent would contribute 4.8 points to the overall score.

For more information on Graduation Rates, see the most current ESSA School Index Business Rules which are available at the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education - Offices - Public School Accountability - Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) - Informational Documents.

Corrections and Documentation

ADE Cohort Graduation Rates System (ACGRS) typically opens up around the first of November for Arkansas LEAs to review, submit documentations for potential corrections, and for Superintendent’s to certify their graduation rate data from the previous school year. Districts and schools should be tracking student movement all throughout the four-years students are enrolled in their district, especially those that are in districts’ initial cohorts. Districts should be mindful that a student will remain in the cohort of the district/school where the student was last ON-TIME.

In preparation for graduation rate corrections, superintendents and their staff should be collecting necessary documentation in order to add, validate, or delete students from their respective cohorts. Superintendents may designate a staff member to submit corrections, however the superintendent alone is responsible for certifying graduation rate data.
 
Please reference the guidance documents and videos below as needed.

State, District, and School Level Graduation Rate Data (archive)

Resources: 

• Non-Regulatory Guidance for High School Graduation Rate
• ADE Cohort Graduation Rate System
• How to Make Graduation Rate Corrections in the ADE Cohort Graduation Rate System (Video)
• ADE Cohort Graduation Rate Systems (Webinar)

For more information, please contact:

Tiffani Grayer, Director of School Performance and Monitoring
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Office of Public School Accountability
Four Capitol Mall, Box 26
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-683-1024
Cell: 501-580-9764
Email: Tiffani.Grayer@ade.arkansas.gov

Kevin Ward, Systems Analyst
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Office of Public School Accountability 
Four Capitol Mall, Box 26
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-682-0689
Email: Kevin.Ward@ade.arkansas.gov