Rogue States Drop Out of Dropout Data

Stateline has published an article on the NGA and several states backing out of a graduation compact signed by the governors last July. A report from NGA entitled Implementing Graduation Counts: State Progress to Date provides an update on what states are doing to comply with the graduation compact.

Meanwhile, Stateline reports the Dakotas are dropping out and three other states, Hawaii, Illinois, and Washington are considering dropping out. Maybe the states feel disaffected. Maybe the Dakotas are rogue like South Dakota Secretary of Education Rick Melmer suggests on Stateline. Or maybe states think that by keeping graduation rates artificially high that their education systems will continue to fool people into believing that their high schools generate success for most students. Seems like a simple calculus to me that if a state opts out of a compact signed by so many govs. the state will look like they are trying to hide something.

Beyond the "apples to apples" sound bite provided by Bridget Curran at NGA, Ms. Curran will also tell you that in order for states to systematically address the dropout crisis, states need to have some uniform data to identify the problem and trends indicative of the problem. This should be a good one to watch develop over the next few years.