This page provides guidelines for reporting dropouts for the October 2008 California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) data collected through the Annual Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) Maintenance process.
The California Department of Education (CDE) defines a dropout for the October 2008 Annual SSID Maintenance process as a person who meets the following criteria:
1) Was enrolled in grades seven through twelve at some time during the 2007-08 school year AND left school prior to completing the 2007-08 school year
OR
2) Successfully completed the 2006-07 school year but did not begin attending the next grade (seven through twelve) in the school to which he or she was assigned or in which he or she had pre-registered or was expected to attend during the 2007-08 school year
AND
3) Is not enrolled and attending school as of Information Day, 2008.
Exclusionary Conditions
The student is not a dropout if he or she meets any of the conditions noted below:
- The student has transferred to and is attending another public or private educational institution leading toward a high school diploma or its equivalent. This definition does not include adult education programs. See "Transfers to Adult Education Programs" for further explanation.
- The student has received a high school diploma or its equivalent (General Education Development [GED] or (California High School Proficiency Examination [CHSPE]) certificate.
- The student has transferred to and is attending a college offering a baccalaureate or associate's program.
- The student has moved out of the United States.
- The student has a temporary school-recognized absence due to suspension or illness.
- The school has verified that the student is planning to enroll late (e.g., extended family vacation, seasonal work.)
- The student has died.
Examples
Example 1:
The student was enrolled in grades seven through twelve at some time during the 2007-08 school year AND left school prior to completing the 2007-08 school year.
An example of this would be a student who started school at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year but stopped attending in February 2008 and is still not enrolled as of Information Day, 2008. If the student does not meet any criteria in the "Exclusionary Conditions" section, then this student is reported as a dropout on the October 2008 CBEDS.
Example 2:
The student successfully
completed the 2006-07 school year but did not begin attending
the next grade (seven through twelve) in the school to which
he or she was assigned or in which he or she had pre-registered
or was expected to attend during the 2007-08 school year.
An example of this would be a student who completed grade eight at
another school in 2006-07 but who did not begin attending grade
nine in the high school to which they were assigned or in which
they had pre-registered or were expected to attend by Information
Day, 2007. If the student does not meet any criteria in the "Exclusionary
Conditions" section, then the high school reports the student
as a 2007-08 dropout in grade nine on the October 2008 CBEDS.
Example 3:
Another example would be the student who successfully completed grade ten during the 2006-07 school year, but did not attend grade eleven in the school they were expected in 2007-08. If the student does not meet any of the "Exclusionary Conditions" on Information Day, report this student as a 2007-08 dropout in grade eleven on the October 2008 CBEDS.
Transfers to Adult Education Programs
Students under the age of 21 who enroll in adult education programs during the 2007-08 school year are to be counted as dropouts unless the school system remains responsible for the student. In that case, it is the high school's responsibility to check the status of those students on Information Day, October 2008. At that time, the following determination should be made:
The high school does not count students as dropouts if:
-
They are enrolled and attending the adult education program.
-
They have received a GED or adult education high school diploma.
The high school must count students as dropouts if:
-
They are a "no-show" at the adult school.
-
They have stopped attending the adult school before completion of the program.
This ensures that students who do not complete a program but for whom the district no longer takes responsibility are counted as dropouts.
Other Considerations
The CDE maintains a policy regarding dropout verification that accepts documentation other than transcripts as evidence that students who have left school are enrolled in other institutions of higher learning or have received a high school diploma or its equivalent. The documentation must be received from a responsible adult having knowledge of the student’s status.
Districts are responsible for determining the status of their "no-show" students. "No-shows" are students who completed any of grades six through eleven during the 2006-07 school year but who did not begin attending the next grade in the school to which they were assigned or in which they had pre-registered or were expected to attend in the fall of 2007. It is important to verify if "no-shows" are dropouts or merely attending a school other than the school they were expected to attend. If you establish that a fall 2007 "no-show" student assigned to your school is a dropout, you are responsible for reporting that student as a dropout on the October 2008 CBEDS report.
Dropouts enrolled in "ungraded secondary" or "adults in kindergarten through grade twelve programs" should be counted in the grade closest to their age group.
Dropout Checklist
The following is a checklist to assist in determining if a student is a dropout.
| A Student Who Meets the Definition
of a Dropout AND |
A 2007-08 Dropout |
|---|---|
| 1. Graduated, received high school diploma, GED, or CHSPE certificate |
No |
2. Special
education student who has completed an individualized
education program (IEP) or received a certificate of completion |
No |
| 3. Transferred to and is attending any public or private educational institution and is in a program leading toward a high school diploma or its equivalent (exception: adult education programs) |
No |
| 4. Died |
No |
| 5. Has not graduated, has not completed an approved program, has not died, and is not known to be in an educational program leading toward a high school diploma or its equivalent |
Yes |
| 6. Completed four years of high school, has not graduated or received a GED or CHSPE certificate, and is not known to be in an educational program leading toward a high school diploma or its equivalent |
Yes |
| 7. Was suspended or expelled and is not known to be in an educational program leading toward a high school diploma or its equivalent |
Yes |
| 8. Was incarcerated, in the armed forces, in the Job Corps, or in the Peace Corps and is not known to be in a secondary educational program |
Yes |
| 9. Left school to get married |
Yes |
| 10. Moved out of district or out of state and is not known to be in an educational program leading toward a high school diploma or its equivalent |
Yes |
| 11. Was reported as a dropout on a CBEDS School Information Form in any year prior to October 2007, re-enrolled in school since dropping out, subsequently left school, has not graduated or completed an approved program, and is not known to be in an educational program leading toward a high school diploma or its equivalent |
Yes |
| 12. District placed the student in an adult program, but has no verification that the student is enrolled and attending the adult school |
Yes |
13. Has
an illness, verified as legitimate |
No |
14. Is
planning to enroll late (e.g. extended family vacation,
seasonal work) |
No |
| 15. Was suspended or expelled and the term of suspension or expulsion is not yet over |
No |
| 16. Was expelled with no option to return |
Yes |
| 17. Was expelled and enrolled in another school and/or district |
No |
