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Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate Calculation Methodology Update
TO: Oklahoma Public School District Superintendents
FROM: OSDE Office of Accountability
DATE: October 22, 2023
SUBJECT: Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate Calculation Change
Based on a recent USDE finding, Oklahoma public schools may not include students graduating on the Core Curriculum pathway in the numerator for ACGR calculations. Instead, these graduates must be included in the denominator of the calculation. As a result, schools with students graduating under the Core Curriculum pathway will experience a decrease in their graduation rate in SY 2025. For schools with many such students, the decrease will be significant.
Context
In reviewing the state's compliance with Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) section 8101(43), USDE has determined that the CORE Curriculum pathway does not conform to Oklahoma’s definition of challenging academic standards -- defined as preparing students to meet the requirements for full admission to the state’s public higher education system. These admissions requirements are set by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Oklahoma statute (70 O.S. §3-151.1) specifies that “Students not enrolled in a program which culminates in the award of a credential recognized by a state or private higher educational institution [accredited or recognized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education] for purposes of admissions shall not be included in the graduation rate calculation as set forth in this subsection as a student who graduated in four (4) years with a standard high school diploma but shall be included in the number of students who entered high school four (4) years earlier." The Oklahoma legislature established the two pathways to graduation in 2005, requiring all students to complete a college preparatory curriculum to graduate high school, unless a student opted out with parental approval. Students opting out were required to complete the Core Curriculum, the main elements of which had been established in 1982. Subsequent legislative changes to graduation requirements have widened the gap between the Core Curriculum and the College Prep/Work Ready (CPW) curriculum. The requirements associated with these pathways have been recently updated by H.B. 3278 (2024) for students entering eighth grade in SY 2025-2026.
Further, USDE determined that the CORE Curriculum, which is not aligned to state educational standards and is awarded to approximately 6-7% of graduates, met the definition of a “lesser credential” per the ESEA as amended. While both the College Prep/Work Ready and Core Curriculum pathways-based diplomas are considered standard Oklahoma diplomas, OSDE will implement the new adjusted graduation rate calculation for SY 2025.
Oklahoma State Department of Education Action
Under the direction of State Superintendent Walters, OSDE met with Career Tech and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to spearhead the development of a joint plan to address this issue. Further communication will be distributed as we finalize and adopt the joint plan.
Required School Actions
Should the plans developed by and agreed upon by SDE, OSRHE, and CTE not be approved by USDE, in order to accurately calculate the graduation rate per USDE guidelines, OSDE must ensure that local educational agencies are accurately reporting students who have opted out, with parental approval, of an educational pathway that prepares a student to be admitted into an OSRHE-approved institution without remediation. The current College and Work Ready and Alternate Standard pathways are the acceptable pathways. We request schools and districts to act prudently and:
- Review data entry processes and protocols for assigning students to the appropriate graduation pathway.
- Review the new Diploma Path column indicating each student’s graduation pathway indicated on the Enrollments and Enrollment Graduations tabs in Accountability Reporting to confirm that students are assigned the correct curricular pathway. For SY 2024 and preceding years student data the codes you will see include “Yes,” indicating that the student is on the Core pathway and “No” indicating that the student is on either the CPW or the AltStd pathway. We recognize that these values may not have been correctly coded for some schools. For SY 2025, there will be three codes: “Core,” “CPW,” and “AltStd” indicating the three possible curriculum pathway assignments.
- Clear up any errors or data conflicts by assigning proper curriculum codes to students.
Recommended School Actions
SDE will provide ongoing support to schools seeking to mitigate the impact of this change in the graduation rate calculation. Schools are also encouraged to:
- Address questions to OSDE advising staff during virtual office hours -- advising guidance is coming soon from the Student Support Office.
- Assist students in meeting the requirements necessary to graduate on the College Prep/Work Ready pathway. Virtual learning platforms, such as Edmentum, Edgenuity, etc., provide opportunities for students to complete math and science courses.
- Review ICAP pathway with students and parents, particularly those in 8th-10th grades, explaining that completion of the Core Curriculum will not meet college entrance requirements, or the requirements of the Oklahoma Promise Scholarship.
OSDE will provide updated guidance as soon as practicable in light of subsequent USDE review and determination.
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