INDICATORS

EARLY LEARNING

K-12

•2.2.1 Number of FTE Students per FTE Teachers •2.2.2 Teachers with Advanced Degrees •2.2.3 Public HS On-Time Graduation Rate •2.2.4 Public HS Extended Graduation Rate •2.2.5 Dual Credit Course Enrollment

K-12 STATE TESTING

K-12 FUNDING

HIGHER EDUCATION

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

EDUCATION

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2.2.4 Extended Graduation Rate for Public High School Students Who Graduate Within 5-Years

Why is this important?

High school completion is a fundamental educational milestone that holds important implications for both students and public education districts.. For students, obtaining a high school diploma offers the expectation of more stable employment prospects, higher lifetime earnings, and the opportunity to continue one's education at the postsecondary level. For school districts, the share of their high school students that earn a diploma (or those who fail to do so) is now a major component of their scorecard. For communities, the educational achievement of its residents affects what kind of employers operate in the area and thus the overall economic vitality. If the local workforce does not have adequate skills, many employers will find a different community to operate in.

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) uses cohorts to track high school graduation rates. The start of each new academic year is the beginning of a new cohort for students entering the 9th grade for the first time. The cohort follows all students from the beginning of the 9th grade through graduation adjusting only for students transferring in or out.

To calculate the overall 5-year extended high school graduation rate (or any cohort), divide the number of graduates by the number of students in the adjusted cohort. The 5-year rate includes all students finishing within 5-years, including on-time graduates who are the majority of students captured in the 5-year rate. The method follows an adjusted cohort of students entering 9th grade for the first time and calculates how many of them graduate after five years of high school. The equation is quite simple: graduation rate = (students graduating within five years with a high school diploma)/(first-time entering 9th graders five years earlier, net of transfers). Each student is assigned an identification number to follow them if they transfer to a different school in-state, as transfers are the only component that alters a given cohort. There are no exceptions for students enrolled in Special Education, English Language Learning, or transferring in with an inadequate number of credits. typically, the share of the cohort taking 5-years to graduate is very small.

For example, for students completing graduation requirements by the end of the 2018-2019 school year:

The on-time cohort are students who started the 9th grade for the first time at the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year.
The 5-year cohort are students who started the 9th grade for the first time at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.

This indicator measures the 5-year extended graduation rate of public high school students in Walla Walla County. Washington State is offered as a benchmark. Additional information, including a breakdown by school district, can be found in the "Download Data" section.

Where are we?

During the 2023-2024 school year, the extended graduation rate for public high school students in:

Walla Walla County was 88.8%, increasing from 84.5% since the 2010-2011 school year.
Washington State was 85.5%, increasing from 78.2% since the 2010-2011 school year.

Data Sources

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Data Portal

Search for "Report Card Graduation" under Data Filters and select the appropriate year.
On the next screen, in the upper right select “Export” and then “CSV for Excel” to download the file.
District and County Rates: Use column B to filter out district and county, column C to filter out the desired county, column J to filter out "District Total", column M to filter out “ALL STUDENTS", and column O to select “Five Year” for the extended graduation rate.
State rate: After gathering district and county rates, go to Column C and select all the counties for the filter. Under column B, filter out to only state.
For all rates, please see the Final Cohort Count in Column Z, Graduates in Column AA, and the Graduation Rate in Column AD.

Notes:

1) Walla Walla County includes public schools in the following school districts (see map):

College Place School District
Columbia (Walla Walla) School District
Dixie School District
Prescott School District
Touchet School District
Waitsburg School District
Walla Walla Public Schools

2) School and school districts are not always confined to city or county boundaries.

3) To learn more about cohorts and how graduation rates are calculated, click here.

The data visualization on this webpage may not be fully accessible for persons with disabilities. However, the source data will download in a file by clicking on the "Download Data" link above. If you would like assistance downloading the file or be provided a copy of the information on this webpage, please contact us at dpjones@ewu.edu.