We graduated 100% of our graduates

"The future ain't what it used to be " 100% Graduation is a reality in LAUSD.  Its summer time and baseball commentators are dropping Yogi Berra-isms again.  These beautiful nuggets juxtaposed to news of 100% graduation rates at some LAUSD Charter schools tell me, "You can observe a lot by watching".   The thing about a social good being quantified is that the more we use it, the number is subject to manipulation (I recommend The Wire seasons 3 for the best example). "If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be."   Any school claiming 100% graduation is probably claiming that they graduate 100% of their graduates, they are definitely not looking at their freshman enrollment graduating, I hope they use their senior enrollment. 

I suggest schools produce 4 different graduation numbers and state which method they use when producing their results. 

·      Method 1 – Quick and Dirty (most common)

Percentage of kids graduating compared to kids who enrolled at the school over the course of the Senior year

·      Method 2 – Scary 

Percentage of kids graduating compared to kids who ever enrolled between the start of the freshman year to graduation day.

·      Method 3 -  "it ain't over till it's over" (most thorough) 

Percentage of kids who get a high school diploma by the age of 21 who ever enrolled between the start of the freshman year to graduation day. LAUSD uses this to get to a respectable 72%.

·      Bonus Method - 100% graduation 99% of the time

Find the percentage of kids walking the stage who attended graduation.  (barring excessive inebriation, most kids who show up on graduation day will walk across the stage)

" When you come to a fork in the road....Take it."  LAUSD has 4 forks when it comes to calculating graduation percentage, each one providing different insight, all must happen simultaneously. Next time you see a school with a 100% graduation rate, and you will, don’t think “It's deja vu all over again,"  ask for the other 3 caclulations.

-" I didn't really say everything I said " the quotes are provided by Yogi Berra