But another story lies behind the state s graduation estimates. A significant number of students are not accounted for, and determining an accurate count is the first step toward devising family, school and public policy solutions for students who are failing to make the grade. The following numbers demonstrate the difference. According to the Indiana Department of Education, approximately 83,000 students comprised the Class of 2000 when they entered high school as freshmen in the Fall of 1996. That leaves over 27,000 students from the original Class of 2000 who did not pass the graduation exam, meaning that as few as 66 percent not 86 percent of the original Class of 2000 passed the test.
Some students move out of state, but others move in.
Some transfer to private schools, while others are now homeschooled. A small number are incarcerated, and some teenagers tragically die. But the sum of these numbers does not approach 27,000. These are the students who need the greatest assistance from family, community and public programs if they are ever to complete their high school education as a first step toward a stable and productive adult life. Education is a primary concern of Hoosier parents and community leaders.