Finding Text
Finding: The District did not always maintain required documentation to support adjustments to the high school graduation rate cohort. Criteria: Title 20, Section 7801(25), United State 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 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 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 that the student enrolled in another school or in an educational program that culminates in the award of a regular high school diploma. Also, before a student is removed from the cohort for enrolling in a home education program, District procedures require District personnel to verify of record that the student enrolled in the program. Condition: To determine whether the District maintained appropriate documentation to support the removal of student counts from the 2021-22 fiscal year graduation rate cohort, we requested District records supporting 40 selected students who were removed from the cohort. The removal of 36 students from the cohort was appropriately supported by District records. However, for 4 other students, District records included parent-signed copies of school withdrawal forms documenting intentions for student enrollment in a home education program but excluded verification of record that the students enrolled in the program. Cause: District personnel indicated that the documentation deficiencies occurred because of District oversight. Effect: Subsequent to our audit inquiry, in September 2022 District personnel attempted to verify that the 4 students enrolled in home education programs or other programs that culminated in the award of a regular high school diploma. However, the attempts produced no evidence to support removal of the students from the cohort. Consequently, the District corrected the withdrawal code for the 4 students to ?status unknown? and added the students back to the cohort. Without appropriate documentation supporting the 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 follow-up to confirm of record that students who plan to enroll in home education programs actually enroll to justify removal of the students from the high school graduation rate cohort. District Response: In response to the deficiency identified by this finding, the Suwannee County School District will ensure each high school principal designates an onsite person to process all student withdrawals. This designee will be responsible for verifying that the Letter of Intent for home education has been properly completed at the time of the withdrawal. Additional follow-up will occur in the event assistance is needed with the transition.