Low Graduation Rates Explained

Kentucky has changed the formula it uses to calculate graduation rates, and it has caused local numbers to drop – and in one case, nosedive. The Kentucky Department of Education today released the data for the graduating class of 2010, as required by the federal No Child Left Behind program. To meet their federal goals, schools and districts will be required to have a graduation rate of 82.32 percent or close the gap between the previous year’s rate by at least 10 percent. Statewide, the 2010 graduation rate is 76.7 percent. In 2009 under the old formula, the state reported a rate of 83.9 percent.