Johns Hopkins Study Wrong About Mason City High School Graduation Rate

(October 30, 2007) A report released by Johns Hopkins University purporting to identify “dropout factories” among the nation’s high schools is misleading the public and the community deserves accurate information regarding the graduation rate at Mason City High School as well as all public high schools according to Mason City Superintendent Keith Sersland.

According to a graduation rate formula developed by the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education, and used by every school district in Iowa, the most recent graduation rate for Mason City High School is 87.24%. This is significantly above the “dropout factory” threshold of no more than 60% graduation rate established by the Johns Hopkins study. Elaine Watkins-Miller, Iowa Department of Education Communication Consultant, says that the Department stands by the Department graduation rate calculations which have been approved by the U.S. Department of Education. That formula is: number of graduates divided by number of graduates plus 9-12 drops.

“Anything less than 100% in terms of graduation rate means we have work to do,” said Sersland. However, the Hopkins study oversimplifies the calculation of graduation rate by focusing only on enrollment. In the Hopkins formula, students who transfer to another school are still calculated as a drop-out. Students who take longer than four years are not calculated in the graduation rate either. Finally, the Hopkins formula does not take into account the “freshman bubble” that exists in most high schools. Freshman classes usually have an enrollment that is artificially higher than other classes. Ninth graders who do not complete eleven credits will continue to be classified as freshman until they achieve the credit classification for sophomore status. This formula discounts all efforts by school districts to keep students in school and progressing towards a diploma regardless of the factor of time.

For further information or questions, please contact Keith Sersland, Superintendent of Schools, (421-4401) or Kathryn Schladweiler, Director of Instructional Programs (421-4403).