Indicator 1 - Graduation

Definition

Percent of youth with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) exiting special education due to graduating with a regular high school diploma.
(20 U.S.C. 1416 (a)(3)(A))

Measurement

Current Measurement (SY2020-21 forward): States must report a percentage using the number of youth with IEPs (ages 14-21) who exited special education due to graduating with a regular high school diploma in the numerator and the number of all youth with IEPs who exited high school (ages 14-21) in the denominator. (This measurement aligns with Indicator 2 and makes them comparable).

Previous Measurement (SY 2016-17 to SY 2019-20): States must report data for children with disabilities using an adjusted cohort graduation rate required under the ESEA. Colorado chose to use the 7-year cohort graduation rate for Indicator 1. This means that students who entered 9th grade are tracked for the following 7 years to see whether or not they received high school diplomas. Colorado thus defined graduation as: [Number of students with disabilities who received a regular diploma in seven years or less of entering from 9th grade] DIVIDED BY [Number of students with disabilities entering from 9th grade (plus the number of transfers in minus the number of verified transfers out)]. Students who were reported as students with disabilities at any grade between 9^th and 12^th are included in the cohort as students with disabilities.

How is Colorado doing on this indicator?

The State rate has missed the target 2019-20 year of graduation. In 2020-21 the calculation changed and the state made the target even though the target also increased. In 2021-22 and 2022-23 the state did not meet the target.

Previous School Years' Cohort Graduation Rates

Targets for the Current SPP/APR Cycle

**Indicator 1 targets - 6-year SPP/APR cycle**
Federal Fiscal Year (FFY)	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Data from School Year	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Target >=	79.27%	79.27%	79.83%	81.09%	82.35%	83.61%

Improvement Strategies for Transition Age Students (Indicators 1, 2, and 14)

Graduation cap, electrician, health care worker, artist, soldier, teacher

Sequencing of Services Framework
- A multi-agency team has developed a sequencing of services framework to clarify student outcomes from junior high through age 24 and to identify the role of each stakeholder (families, community-centered boards, division of vocational rehabilitation, etc.) in assisting students to meet defined outcomes.
Capstone Projects
- CDE established a Capstone workgroup to build school district personnel’s knowledge of how to develop capstones aligned with school district graduation requirements for students with significant needs.
Equity work
- CDE/DVR/Colorado Community College System (CCCS) offers professional learning opportunities to school district personnel to assure equitable access for students with disabilities access to CTE programs (5-year project – 2021-2026):
- CDE will partner with the largest district in Colorado to improve dropout and graduation rates, and post-school outcomes for young men of color with disabilities.
Training and Technical Assistance
- CDE will partner with the Transition Coalition to train, mentor, and facilitate district teams to increase their knowledge of IDEA and secondary transition planning (Spring 2022)
- CDE is developing training on person-centered planning for students with disabilities (SY 2021-22)
- CDE is conducting parent focus groups to determine parent training needs, develop trainings to address needs of families and school district personnel (SY 2021-22)
- CDE provides opportunities for LEAs to engage in post-school outcomes data discussions to identify strengths in current practices and opportunities to improve response rates from Hispanic and Black students through the targeted support.
- CDE offers statewide regional trainings on a variety of transition topics
- CDE provides monthly transition talks related to all aspects of secondary transition planning
- CDE hosts a statewide conference, the Transition Leadership Institute, each year to build LEA knowledge of evidence-based secondary transition practices

Additional Resources

The feedback period has closed, this video is included for information on the target setting process (the Indicator 1 section starts at 00:04:18).

CDE Graduation Statistics (webpage)

For more information, contact:

Orla Bolger
Supervisor, Data and Monitoring Liaison
Email Orla Bolger
Phone: (720) 921-0524

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