Overall, the high school graduation rate in Ohio has been climbing since 2010. But changes to federal education policies could cause a decrease this school year.
State report cards show the four-year high-xschool graduation rate reached more than 83 percent in the 2016-2017 academic year. But the federal Every Student Succeeds Act—or ESSA-- could impact that rate negatively, particularly for one group of students.
“With the changes to the ESSA calculation, we would only be counting students with disabilities as graduates if they meet the same requirements as their non-disabled peers.”
Kim Monachino with the Department of Education says there are 250,000 Ohio students with disabilities who were previously allowed to take different tracks to graduation based on their needs. But starting this year, alternative routes will no longer count toward the federally recognized graduation rate. That means in 2018, Ohio’s overall graduation rate could drop based on one group of students.
The graduation rate is one of 6 components measured on the annual state report cards of school districts.
