Email, Sheleah D. Reed, press secretary, Houston Independent School District, June 26, 2014

10:19 a.m.

Long way to a short answer – No, Lee’s 2012 dropout rate is not between 40-50 percent. HISD reports a graduation rate of 80%.

First, the calculation to say that Lee’s graduation rate is 45% (272/608) does NOT take into consideration the 178 students who left and have documented enrollment in other Texas public schools and the 101 students who joined Lee during the 4 years of the cohort.  So it is inaccurate.

Secondly, if you remove the 178 from the cohort (who enrolled in other Texas public schools) and add the 101 (who joined during the cohort years), our my calculation (if you don’t account for other leavers) gets a graduation rate of 51% (272/531), and conversely, a dropout rate of 49%.  This too is fallacious, especially since 35 students remained for a 5th year of enrollment.

Thirdly, the 186 other leavers should indeed be removed from the cohort since these are students with documents/affidavits in their files supporting that they:  enrolled in schools in other states, began home schooling, enrolled in Texas private schools, graduated outside of Texas, or returned to their home country, all of which are state recognized leaver codes and not considered dropouts.  When you remove these students and 5 students with coding errors that could not be tracked, the graduation rate becomes 80% (272/340).

Lastly, if you were to inappropriately count the 69 students who went back to their home country as dropouts and keep them in the cohort, this would make the graduation rate 67% (272/409).  School districts cannot be held responsible for students whose parents (or them if they are of legal age) choose to return to their home country.

We are held accountable for the 80% for 2012. This is without exclusions.

…

Sheleah D. Reed

Press Secretary