§5031. High school graduation rate

1.  Goal.  It is the goal of the State to achieve a graduation rate of 90% by the end of the 2015-2016 school year for each publicly supported secondary school. In addition to calculating the 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate following the procedures outlined in 34 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 200.19, the department shall also calculate and record for each publicly supported secondary school:

A. Beginning with the graduation rate reported for school year 2011-2012 and for each school year thereafter, the 5-year adjusted cohort graduation rate;   [PL 2011, c. 614, §12 (NEW).]

B. Beginning with the graduation rate reported for school year 2012-2013 and for each school year thereafter, the 6-year adjusted cohort graduation rate; and   [PL 2011, c. 614, §12 (NEW).]

C. Beginning with the graduation rate reported for school year 2011-2012 and for each school year thereafter, other descriptors of academic success for school-age students on a statewide aggregate basis, including the rates of attainment of a:

(1) Department of Education diploma as described under section 257-A;

(2) High school equivalency diploma as described under section 257; and

(3) High school equivalency diploma obtained through a high school completion course that includes general educational development preparation courses from an adult education program as described in chapter 315.   [PL 2013, c. 439, §5 (AMD).]

The department shall adopt rules specifying that the methods used to calculate publicly supported secondary school graduation rates through the 2015-2016 school year must include calculations for 5-year and 6-year adjusted cohort graduation rates under paragraphs A and B and other descriptors of academic success under paragraph C.

[PL 2013, c. 439, §5 (AMD).]

2.  Technical assistance.  The department shall provide forms to publicly supported secondary schools for reporting graduation rates. The commissioner shall provide technical assistance to publicly supported secondary schools in the State that have not attained a graduation rate of 80% by the end of the 2012-2013 school year. Publicly supported secondary schools that do not meet the 80% graduation rate by the end of the 2012-2013 school year shall provide the commissioner with a copy of the action plan developed under section 5103, subsection 5 no later than December 31, 2013. The action plan may include the steps necessary to achieve a graduation rate of 90% by the end of the 2015-2016 school year.

[PL 2009, c. 626, §1 (NEW).]

3.  Rules.  The department shall adopt rules specifying the method to be used to calculate publicly supported secondary school graduation rates through 2016 and dates by which graduation rates must be reported to the department. Rules adopted under this section are major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A and must be provisionally adopted and submitted to the Legislature for review no later than January 14, 2011.

[PL 2009, c. 626, §1 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2009, c. 626, §1 (NEW). PL 2011, c. 614, §12 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 439, §5 (AMD).