This variable measures the number of students enrolled in public high schools who left school without graduating during the school year. The rate is expressed as the percent of enrolled high school students. The formula used to calculate the rate accounts for transfers in and out of a school district. It is important to note that district superintendents provide dropout information. Criteria for how dropout data is calculated and entered may differ from district to district.
Superintendents can also change dropout data for up to ten year.
That means dropout rates reported this year may not match data presented in earlier years. Significance Youth who drop out of high school greatly lower their odds of succeeding as adults. High school dropouts are three times as likely to slip into poverty as those who finished high school. High school dropouts are at risk for other negative outcomes in addition to economic insecurity. Female drop-outs are more likely to become teen parents than those who stay in school.