MEAD GRUVER Associated Press writer | Posted: Friday, March 14, 2008 12:00 am
CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Department of Education reports a better high school graduation rate for Wyoming than the rate calculated for the state by an independent group, according to a report by the Alliance for Excellent Education.
The rate reported by the Wyoming Department of Education in 2004 was 79.2 percent. The rate calculated for Wyoming by the group Editorial Projects in Education, publisher of Education Week magazine, was 75.8 percent for that year.
Former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, head of the Washington, D.C-based Alliance, said Thursday that states commonly report better graduation rates than those calculated by Editorial Projects in Education.
But Wise said that compared to a 15-point gap in California, Wyoming's 3.4-point gap isn't all that bad.
Wise also gave credit to Wyoming for improving its graduation rate.
The Wyoming Department of Education reports that Wyoming's graduation rate increased from 76.6 percent in 2001 to 79.2 percent in 2004, the year cited in the Alliance report released Wednesday. State figures show that Wyoming's graduation rate has since risen to 81.6 percent.
"Wyoming clearly has been taking actions at the state level," Wise said. "It has a better than average graduation rate. Having said that, it's still almost one out of four that are dropping out."
Wyoming's rate, as calculated by Editorial Projects in Education, ranks 16th nationally. The nationwide average graduation rate, according to that group, is 70 percent.
State Superintendent Jim McBride said one of his priorities over the next few years is to begin calculating graduation rates using a method endorsed in 2005 by the National Governors' Association.
He agreed with Wise that most states calculate graduation rates differently.
"It's sort of like interpreting IRS laws," McBride said. "Whichever way gives you the most money back is the way you do it."
Wise said the National Governors Association method is similar to the method used by Editorial Projects in Education.