Iowa Department of Education Publishes Updated Graduation Rates, Correcting Errors

The Iowa Department of Education made a startling announcement regarding the graduation rates for the class of 2023. It was revealed that the graduation numbers for the past 10 years had been inaccurately inflated due to a code error that had gone unnoticed for possibly a decade.

According to a news release from the Department of Education, the error stemmed from mobile students who transferred between districts and later dropped out being mistakenly removed from the student cohort instead of being included as non-graduates. This code error had been in place for over a decade, as confirmed by Department of Education officials.

After rectifying the error, the corrected four-year high school graduation rate for the class of 2023 in Iowa was reported to be 87.5%, a slight increase from the corrected rate of 87.4% for the class of 2022. This adjustment also revealed that the previously reported graduation rates for 2022 and 2021 were higher than the actual rates.

Approximately 1,000 students out of a cohort of about 38,000 were impacted by this miscalculation for the graduating class of 2023. The error affected both four- and five-year graduation rates but did not impact the state’s dropout rate.

Superintendents across the state were notified of the error before the public release of the corrected graduation rates. Despite the discrepancy, officials assured that the miscalculation would not have any federal implications for the state. Graduation rates are not tied to state or federal funding formulas.