Graduation Rate Study: Four Year Graduation Rates for the Cohort Class of 2000, Arizona Public High Schools.

The purpose of this study was to examine the proportion of students in the cohort class of 2000 who completed Arizona high school graduation requirements within 4 years. The cohort class of 2000 comprises students who entered 9th grade in fall of the 1996-1997 school year, and were expected to graduate from 12th grade by the end of the 1999-2000 school year. The report also provide information about the number and proportion of students who obtained a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, dropped out, or remained enrolled for a fifth year of high school. Rates are summarized at the state level, by gender and ethnicity, by county, and by district and school. The cohort class of 2000 had a membership of 57,585 students. Of these, 71% graduated in 4 years, and 6.9% enrolled in a fifth year of high school. A GED was received by 0.3%. More than 75% of the females received high school diplomas, and 67% of the males graduated. Males were more likely to enroll for a fifth year of high school (8.3%) than were females (5.5%). There was a wide gap in the graduation rates of different ethnic groups, with Hispanic and Native Americans graduating at low rates (nearly 59% and 56% respectively), while White and Asian rates were nearly 79% and 84 % respectively. An appendix contains a high school cross reference with data by school. (SLD)