tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856792.post-1119557412427163432005-06-23T16:07:00.000-04:002005-06-23T16:11:13.630-04:00Tough new <a href="http://www2.edtrust.org/NR/rdonlyres/C5A6974D-6C04-4FB1-A9FC-05938CB0744D/0/GettingHonest.pdf">report</a> from Ed Trust criticizes most states for continuing to seriously inflate their graduation rates and goes after US Department of Education for allowing them to get away with it. Lots of charts that compare official state graduation rates with more accurate (and lower) tallies from groups like the Urban Institute. The conclusion:<br /><br />"If we want high schools that<br />truly serve all students and<br />prepare them for work, college,<br />and life, we first need to know how<br />many students are leaving school<br />altogether. And we need to know<br />who these students are. With<br />that information in hand, we can<br />begin to craft targeted, responsive<br />improvement strategies.<br />Some states know this and,<br />like Washington, have taken it to<br />heart. They’ve been thoughtful<br />and creative in calculating good<br />graduation rate estimates, even in<br />the absence of ideal data systems.<br />Others, under cover of a<br />negligent U.S. Department of<br />Education, have skirted the issue.<br />Some have allowed their work to<br />build future data systems, while<br />important and necessary, to eclipse<br />the very urgent needs of schools<br />and students. These states, and<br />the nation as a whole, cannot<br />afford to wait any longer for good<br />information, because as we wait,<br />doors are closing on hundreds of<br />thousands of young people.<br />Getting an honest picture<br />of who is graduating from high<br />school should be the priority<br />of everyone—educators,<br />policymakers, parents, business<br />and community leaders—who is<br />invested in improving our high<br />schools. As The Indianapolis Star<br />declared: “The first step is to tell<br />the truth.”Adam Kernan-Schlossnoreply@blogger.com