Audit 296328

Finding - The District did not always maintain required documentation to support the adjustments to the high school cohort graduation rate. Criteria - Title 20, Section 7801(25), United States Code, requires that the District maintain appropriate documentation to support the removal of a student’s count from the 4-year cohort (defined as a group of students on the same schedule to graduate) used to calculate the high school cohort graduation rate. To remove a student’s count from the cohort, the District must confirm, in writing, that the student transferred from the District, emigrated to another country, transferred to a prison or juvenile facility, or is deceased. Additionally, a student who is retained in the same grade, enrolls in a General Educational Development (GED) Program, or leaves school for any other reason may not be counted as having transferred from the District for the purpose of calculating the graduation rate and must remain in the cohort. To confirm that a student transferred out, official documentation must be obtained from the receiving school or program that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma. Condition - To determine whether the District maintained appropriate documentation to support the removal of the 641 students from the 2022-23 fiscal year cohort graduation rate, we requested District records to support 25 selected students who were removed from the cohort. We found that District records did not comply with the Federal documentation requirements for the removal of 5 students from the cohort. Specifically, District personnel indicated that they were made aware of the students' intention at the time of withdrawal but District records did not evidence that the students enrolled in another school or program. Subsequent to our request in October 2023, school personnel obtained and provided to us confirmations that 2 of the students enrolled in educational programs that would culminate in the award of a regular high school diploma. Cause - District personnel indicated that they were unaware of some requirements for removing students from the cohort and did not adequately document student withdrawals. In addition, District personnel indicated that they did not monitor staff to ensure that students were always removed from the cohort for allowable reasons or always maintain records to support those removals. Effect - While the noncompliance was the result of a significant deficiency, the noncompliance does not have a direct impact on funding. Notwithstanding, without appropriate documentation supporting adjustments to the 4-year cohort and related graduation rate calculation, the District cannot demonstrate that the calculation was accurate, limiting the usefulness of the graduation rate as an academic indicator. Recommendation - The District should enhance procedures to ensure that documentation supporting adjustments to the 4-year cohort and related graduation rate calculation is obtained before adjustments are made. Such enhancements should include appropriate training and monitoring to ensure that the required documentation is maintained and supports that all students removed from the cohort graduation rate were removed for the reasons allowed by Federal regulations. District Response - The District will review procedures in alignment with State and Federal guidance. The District’s FTE team will include the Federal guidelines for documentation supporting student withdrawal and subsequent removal from the graduation cohort in their annual and ongoing training with school-based staff responsible for this practice. The District continuously adheres to the State of Florida documentation requirements and guidelines for inclusion for graduation cohorts.

Finding - The District did not always maintain required documentation to support the adjustments to the high school cohort graduation rate. Criteria - Title 20, Section 7801(25), United States Code, requires that the District maintain appropriate documentation to support the removal of a student’s count from the 4-year cohort (defined as a group of students on the same schedule to graduate) used to calculate the high school cohort graduation rate. To remove a student’s count from the cohort, the District must confirm, in writing, that the student transferred from the District, emigrated to another country, transferred to a prison or juvenile facility, or is deceased. Additionally, a student who is retained in the same grade, enrolls in a General Educational Development (GED) Program, or leaves school for any other reason may not be counted as having transferred from the District for the purpose of calculating the graduation rate and must remain in the cohort. To confirm that a student transferred out, official documentation must be obtained from the receiving school or program that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma. Condition - To determine whether the District maintained appropriate documentation to support the removal of the 641 students from the 2022-23 fiscal year cohort graduation rate, we requested District records to support 25 selected students who were removed from the cohort. We found that District records did not comply with the Federal documentation requirements for the removal of 5 students from the cohort. Specifically, District personnel indicated that they were made aware of the students' intention at the time of withdrawal but District records did not evidence that the students enrolled in another school or program. Subsequent to our request in October 2023, school personnel obtained and provided to us confirmations that 2 of the students enrolled in educational programs that would culminate in the award of a regular high school diploma. Cause - District personnel indicated that they were unaware of some requirements for removing students from the cohort and did not adequately document student withdrawals. In addition, District personnel indicated that they did not monitor staff to ensure that students were always removed from the cohort for allowable reasons or always maintain records to support those removals. Effect - While the noncompliance was the result of a significant deficiency, the noncompliance does not have a direct impact on funding. Notwithstanding, without appropriate documentation supporting adjustments to the 4-year cohort and related graduation rate calculation, the District cannot demonstrate that the calculation was accurate, limiting the usefulness of the graduation rate as an academic indicator. Recommendation - The District should enhance procedures to ensure that documentation supporting adjustments to the 4-year cohort and related graduation rate calculation is obtained before adjustments are made. Such enhancements should include appropriate training and monitoring to ensure that the required documentation is maintained and supports that all students removed from the cohort graduation rate were removed for the reasons allowed by Federal regulations. District Response - The District will review procedures in alignment with State and Federal guidance. The District’s FTE team will include the Federal guidelines for documentation supporting student withdrawal and subsequent removal from the graduation cohort in their annual and ongoing training with school-based staff responsible for this practice. The District continuously adheres to the State of Florida documentation requirements and guidelines for inclusion for graduation cohorts.