Kids Count Data Center

Definitions: The percentage of public school students who have graduated within four years of entering ninth grade for the first time (tracked by student ID number). Students who are deceased or transfer out of the school or district to attend elsewhere are removed from the group of students (cohort) tracked. Incoming transfer students, at enrollment, are included in the county of the class with which they are scheduled to graduate. Those receiving a standard diploma are included; those receiving a special diploma, completing the GED examination, and Certificate recipients are excluded.

Federal regulations require each state to calculate a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate which only includes standard diplomas. The US Department of Education (USED) adopted this new graduation rate calculation method to develop uniform, accurate, and comparable graduation rates across all states. Beginning in 2011/12 Florida is calculating and reporting only the federal uniform graduation rate. This method replaces the National Governors Association (NGA) rate which is no longer calculated. The federal rate meets the requirements of Florida's NGA compact.

Data Source: Division of Accountability Research & Measurement, Florida Department of Education, Tallahassee, Florida

Footnotes: Public school data. Data begins with School Year (SY) 1992/93.

Beginning with the school year 1998/99, the method used to calculate the graduation rate changed.

Beginning in school year 2011/2012, Florida began calculating and reporting only the federal uniform graduation rate in compliance with new federal regulations requiring each state to utilize the same calculation method.

Graduation rates using different calculation methodologies should not be compared.

Note: Maps use the natural break classification method, which reflects patterns in the data by dividing the map into naturally occurring groups. Using statistical tools, this method determines cut-off points for each group by identifying large gaps in data values.