A dropout by any other name

With the 12th worst dropout rate in the nation, North Carolina needs to find answers to the dropout crisis that costs our state $169 million each year. Until recently, the solution du jour was raising the mandatory attendance age from 16 to 18. While that proposal remains under consideration, another idea is being discussed by lawmakers and the education establishment: changing the definition of "dropout" to improve our statistics.

Under the new definition, students obtaining high school equivalency credentials from community colleges would be excluded from the state's dropout statistics and counted as if they had finished at local high schools. Supporters argue that students who leave high school and pursue alternative diplomas at community colleges should not be counted the same as those who drop out and earn no diploma at all.

But consider this.

Let's say that a local business experiencing high employee turnover is accountable to corporate managers by reporting its attrition rate every quarter. Should the business only count those employees who leave and remain unemployed? Or should all former employees be counted, including those who left for other employment and possibly more challenging opportunities? Although it surely would look better for the business, a partial accounting doesn't change the actual numbers or address the issues leading to such high turnover.

The analogy may not be exact, but there is a similar principle at play when it comes to calculating dropouts in North Carolina. If students who drop out go on to obtain alternative diplomas, then they should be applauded for their efforts. That doesn't mean that the schools deserve credit for their success.

Now more than ever, people expect quality, accountability and transparency from the operations funded by their tax dollars. Instead of adjusting dropout numbers so that they sound better, we should explore the underlying causes and address those issues through greater educational opportunity in North Carolina.