Give Straight Answers on Wisconsin Drop Out Rate

Wisconsin State Journal Editorial:

Question: What is Wisconsin's high school graduation rate?

Answer: About 91 percent, ranking among the top five states in the nation.

Or 86 percent, in the top 10.

Or 77 percent, ranking 11th.

It all depends on who is counting — the state government, the federal government or independent analysts.

Shouldn't there be one straight answer?

Yes.

That's why Congress ought to approve the Bush administration's plan to require all states to calculate graduation rates by the same formula — one endorsed by the National Governors Association in 2005.

A standard graduation rate formula is central to evaluating and solving one of the nation's biggest social problems — the high school dropout rate.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 19, 2008 2:03 AM
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