Not terribly surprising.

[M]any states use an inflated graduation rate for federal reporting requirements under the No Child Left Behind law and a different one at home. As a result, researchers say, federal figures obscure a dropout epidemic so severe that only about 70 percent of the one million American students who start ninth grade each year graduate four years later.

California, for example, sends to Washington an official graduation rate of 83 percent but reports an estimated 67 percent on a state Web site. Delaware reported 84 percent to the federal government but publicized four lower rates at home.

In Alabama only about 60% of ninth graders will go on to graduate.  Only about 30% of those ninth graders will be prepared for college.

Maybe we should give them more money!  Or how about more federal mandates!

Related content:

• Reminder: Half of all children are below average
• Government schools not preparing students for college
• Crime in the US - 2007
• Learning Optional in California
• Strict education standards in Alabama - later

This entry was posted by Brian on Friday, March 21st, 2008 at 8:07 pm and is filed under Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Please note the copyright policy.