Report says Iowa's dropout rate falling, but data is dated

A new study reports that the state's number of dropouts has decreased from 2002 to 2008.

Iowa's number of high schools with low graduation rates decreased by half, from four to two, during that time period, according to a report released today by America's Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises and Johns Hopkins University's Everyone Graduates Center. However, this report doesn't include the 2008-09 school year, which saw an increase in Iowa dropouts.

A total 4,807 students in grades seventh through 12

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left the traditional school setting that year, an increase of more than 300 students from the year before. However, state educators said the increase could be because of efforts to better track these students.

The 2009-10 data, to be released this spring, will determine if the increase is because of data reporting or a new trend.

According to

Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic, the number of “dropout factory” high schools fell by 13 percent – from 2,007 in 2002 to 1,746 in 2008 – nationally. The findings were determined through an analysis of the most recent government data.