High School graduation rate as a measure of school success

Dick Innes posted a thoughtful item on graduation rates this afternoon over at the Bluegrass Policy blog.

He worries that as Congress considers the reauthorization of NCLB that requirements might be reduced.

I think I heard House Education and Labor Committee Chair George Miller tell the National Press Club that the house bill he introduces in September will allow the use of additional measures to assess school performance more comprehensively and that "one such measure for high schools must be graduation rates."

But he stopped short of saying there would be a uniform definition of what that means. Without an agreed upon definitions - as with "proficiency" -the term "graduation rate" will remain meaningless.

Innes talks about a recent Ed Trust report and the circumstances in Kentucky.