Finding 2023-001: Title I – Graduation Rate (50000)
Federal Program: Title I, Part A
U.S. Dept. of Education
Assistance Listing No: 84.010
Pass-Through Entity: California Dept. of Education
Criteria: 34 CFR, section 200.19(b) states, in part: High schools – (1) Graduation rate. Consistent with paragraphs
(b)(4) and (b)(5) of this section regarding reporting and determining AYP, respectively, each State must calculate a
graduation rate, defined as follows, for all public high schools in the State: (i) (A) A State must calculate a “fouryear
adjusted cohort graduation rate,” defined as the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular
high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for that graduating class. (B)
For those high schools that start after grade nine, the cohort must be calculated based on the earliest high school
grade. (ii) The term “adjusted cohort” means the students who enter grade 9 (or the earliest high school grade) and
any students who transfer into the cohort in grades 9 through 12 minus any students removed from the cohort.
(A) The term “students who transfer into the cohort” means the students who enroll after the beginning of the
entering cohort's first year in high school, up to and including in grade 12. (B) To remove a student from the cohort,
a school or LEA must confirm in writing that the student transferred out, immigrated to another country, or is
deceased.
(1) To confirm that a student transferred out, the school or LEA must have official written documentation
that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a
regular high school diploma.
(2) A student who is retained in grade, enrolls in a General Educational Development (GED) program, or
leaves school for any other reason may not be counted as having transferred out for the purpose of
calculating graduation rate and must remain in the adjusted cohort.
Condition: During our review of the District’s Title I program, we noted that the District did not maintain written
documentation supporting that a student had enrolled in another school or in an education program that culminates
in the awarding of a regular high school diploma. The District is required to maintain official written documentation
supporting that a student has enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the awarding
of a regular high school diploma. A student who is retained in-grade or leaves school for any other reason may not
be counted as having transferred out for the purpose of calculating graduation rates and must remain in the adjusted
cohort.
Cause: The District did not maintain adequate documentation to support the removal of a student from the
regulatory adjusted cohort.
Effect: We were unable to determine whether the District implemented policies and procedures for documenting the
removal of students from the regulatory adjusted cohort.
Questioned Costs: None
Context: The CDE uses the student-level data maintained in CALPADS to calculate the four-year adjusted cohort
graduation rate for all LEAs in the state. We selected nine students who were identified in CALPADS as transfer
students who withdrew from the District. The District was unable to provide any written documentation to confirm
that one of these students transferred out of the District and emigrated to another county or enrolled in another
school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma.
Finding 2023-001: Title I – Graduation Rate (50000)
Federal Program: Title I, Part A
U.S. Dept. of Education
Assistance Listing No: 84.010
Pass-Through Entity: California Dept. of Education
Criteria: 34 CFR, section 200.19(b) states, in part: High schools – (1) Graduation rate. Consistent with paragraphs
(b)(4) and (b)(5) of this section regarding reporting and determining AYP, respectively, each State must calculate a
graduation rate, defined as follows, for all public high schools in the State: (i) (A) A State must calculate a “fouryear
adjusted cohort graduation rate,” defined as the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular
high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for that graduating class. (B)
For those high schools that start after grade nine, the cohort must be calculated based on the earliest high school
grade. (ii) The term “adjusted cohort” means the students who enter grade 9 (or the earliest high school grade) and
any students who transfer into the cohort in grades 9 through 12 minus any students removed from the cohort.
(A) The term “students who transfer into the cohort” means the students who enroll after the beginning of the
entering cohort's first year in high school, up to and including in grade 12. (B) To remove a student from the cohort,
a school or LEA must confirm in writing that the student transferred out, immigrated to another country, or is
deceased.
(1) To confirm that a student transferred out, the school or LEA must have official written documentation
that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a
regular high school diploma.
(2) A student who is retained in grade, enrolls in a General Educational Development (GED) program, or
leaves school for any other reason may not be counted as having transferred out for the purpose of
calculating graduation rate and must remain in the adjusted cohort.
Condition: During our review of the District’s Title I program, we noted that the District did not maintain written
documentation supporting that a student had enrolled in another school or in an education program that culminates
in the awarding of a regular high school diploma. The District is required to maintain official written documentation
supporting that a student has enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the awarding
of a regular high school diploma. A student who is retained in-grade or leaves school for any other reason may not
be counted as having transferred out for the purpose of calculating graduation rates and must remain in the adjusted
cohort.
Cause: The District did not maintain adequate documentation to support the removal of a student from the
regulatory adjusted cohort.
Effect: We were unable to determine whether the District implemented policies and procedures for documenting the
removal of students from the regulatory adjusted cohort.
Questioned Costs: None
Context: The CDE uses the student-level data maintained in CALPADS to calculate the four-year adjusted cohort
graduation rate for all LEAs in the state. We selected nine students who were identified in CALPADS as transfer
students who withdrew from the District. The District was unable to provide any written documentation to confirm
that one of these students transferred out of the District and emigrated to another county or enrolled in another
school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma.
Finding 2023-001: Title I – Graduation Rate (50000)
Federal Program: Title I, Part A
U.S. Dept. of Education
Assistance Listing No: 84.010
Pass-Through Entity: California Dept. of Education
Criteria: 34 CFR, section 200.19(b) states, in part: High schools – (1) Graduation rate. Consistent with paragraphs
(b)(4) and (b)(5) of this section regarding reporting and determining AYP, respectively, each State must calculate a
graduation rate, defined as follows, for all public high schools in the State: (i) (A) A State must calculate a “fouryear
adjusted cohort graduation rate,” defined as the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular
high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for that graduating class. (B)
For those high schools that start after grade nine, the cohort must be calculated based on the earliest high school
grade. (ii) The term “adjusted cohort” means the students who enter grade 9 (or the earliest high school grade) and
any students who transfer into the cohort in grades 9 through 12 minus any students removed from the cohort.
(A) The term “students who transfer into the cohort” means the students who enroll after the beginning of the
entering cohort's first year in high school, up to and including in grade 12. (B) To remove a student from the cohort,
a school or LEA must confirm in writing that the student transferred out, immigrated to another country, or is
deceased.
(1) To confirm that a student transferred out, the school or LEA must have official written documentation
that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a
regular high school diploma.
(2) A student who is retained in grade, enrolls in a General Educational Development (GED) program, or
leaves school for any other reason may not be counted as having transferred out for the purpose of
calculating graduation rate and must remain in the adjusted cohort.
Condition: During our review of the District’s Title I program, we noted that the District did not maintain written
documentation supporting that a student had enrolled in another school or in an education program that culminates
in the awarding of a regular high school diploma. The District is required to maintain official written documentation
supporting that a student has enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the awarding
of a regular high school diploma. A student who is retained in-grade or leaves school for any other reason may not
be counted as having transferred out for the purpose of calculating graduation rates and must remain in the adjusted
cohort.
Cause: The District did not maintain adequate documentation to support the removal of a student from the
regulatory adjusted cohort.
Effect: We were unable to determine whether the District implemented policies and procedures for documenting the
removal of students from the regulatory adjusted cohort.
Questioned Costs: None
Context: The CDE uses the student-level data maintained in CALPADS to calculate the four-year adjusted cohort
graduation rate for all LEAs in the state. We selected nine students who were identified in CALPADS as transfer
students who withdrew from the District. The District was unable to provide any written documentation to confirm
that one of these students transferred out of the District and emigrated to another county or enrolled in another
school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma.
Finding 2023-001: Title I – Graduation Rate (50000)
Federal Program: Title I, Part A
U.S. Dept. of Education
Assistance Listing No: 84.010
Pass-Through Entity: California Dept. of Education
Criteria: 34 CFR, section 200.19(b) states, in part: High schools – (1) Graduation rate. Consistent with paragraphs
(b)(4) and (b)(5) of this section regarding reporting and determining AYP, respectively, each State must calculate a
graduation rate, defined as follows, for all public high schools in the State: (i) (A) A State must calculate a “fouryear
adjusted cohort graduation rate,” defined as the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular
high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for that graduating class. (B)
For those high schools that start after grade nine, the cohort must be calculated based on the earliest high school
grade. (ii) The term “adjusted cohort” means the students who enter grade 9 (or the earliest high school grade) and
any students who transfer into the cohort in grades 9 through 12 minus any students removed from the cohort.
(A) The term “students who transfer into the cohort” means the students who enroll after the beginning of the
entering cohort's first year in high school, up to and including in grade 12. (B) To remove a student from the cohort,
a school or LEA must confirm in writing that the student transferred out, immigrated to another country, or is
deceased.
(1) To confirm that a student transferred out, the school or LEA must have official written documentation
that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a
regular high school diploma.
(2) A student who is retained in grade, enrolls in a General Educational Development (GED) program, or
leaves school for any other reason may not be counted as having transferred out for the purpose of
calculating graduation rate and must remain in the adjusted cohort.
Condition: During our review of the District’s Title I program, we noted that the District did not maintain written
documentation supporting that a student had enrolled in another school or in an education program that culminates
in the awarding of a regular high school diploma. The District is required to maintain official written documentation
supporting that a student has enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the awarding
of a regular high school diploma. A student who is retained in-grade or leaves school for any other reason may not
be counted as having transferred out for the purpose of calculating graduation rates and must remain in the adjusted
cohort.
Cause: The District did not maintain adequate documentation to support the removal of a student from the
regulatory adjusted cohort.
Effect: We were unable to determine whether the District implemented policies and procedures for documenting the
removal of students from the regulatory adjusted cohort.
Questioned Costs: None
Context: The CDE uses the student-level data maintained in CALPADS to calculate the four-year adjusted cohort
graduation rate for all LEAs in the state. We selected nine students who were identified in CALPADS as transfer
students who withdrew from the District. The District was unable to provide any written documentation to confirm
that one of these students transferred out of the District and emigrated to another county or enrolled in another
school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma.