District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Graduation Rate Taskforce: Report and Discussion

At its February 2007 meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Education discussed proposed changes to the school and district accountability system, including recommendations to set a minimum graduation rate for all student groups for the purpose of calculating Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). At that meeting, the Board voted to establish a minimum four-year graduation rate standard of 55 percent as the "must meet" AYP target for 2007 for all public high schools in the Commonwealth. Before taking the vote, several Board members expressed concern over: 1) the state's relatively low (80 percent) high school graduation rate for the 2006 cohort; and 2) the 55 percent rate set for AYP. The Board expressed interest in taking steps to increase the percentage of students who graduate from high school.

At the meeting, the Board voted to establish a taskforce to work with Department staff to review additional data related to the high school graduation rate - including five-year graduation data when available - and to consider other issues such as making recommendations for AYP improvement targets and addressing capacity and resources needed to increase the percentage of students graduating from high school.

Formed in the spring of 2007, the taskforce is comprised of representatives from business and industry, school districts, high schools, alternative education programs, teacher organizations, student organizations, private non-profits, and Department staff. A list of members is attached (Appendix A   ). Board member Harneen Chernow is the chair of the taskforce.

The taskforce met three times over the course of six months and developed a set of recommendations for the Board to consider. The main recommendation as to AYP is that the five-year graduation rate be taken into consideration in calculating the AYP determination. The report suggests several possible ways of doing so. Five-year graduation rate data for the 2006 cohort will be available later this month. The taskforce also identified a number of effective programs and strategies to reduce dropouts, in addition to urging three priorities for funding.

We expect one or two members of the taskforce will join Harneen Chernow at the December meeting to discuss the report with the Board.

	Appendix A: Task Force Members
	Draft Graduation Rate Taskforce Report