Drivers License reporting.
to help districts accurately report the number of dropouts by listing the reporting
responsibilities of district and school staff in relation to tracking and reporting
students who drop out of school.
to suggest ways to verify the number of dropouts.
to indicate the withdrawal codes classified as dropout codes.
A school district’s dropout rate is one of the most important indicators of school success
in providing appropriate and challenging education for all students. The personal, social,
and economic consequences of students not completing high school are enormous.
Accurate dropout statistics are necessary to build reliable historical information,
evaluate the effectiveness of supplemental academic instruction and dropout prevention
programs, measure the achievement of state goals, and report district and state dropout
rates appropriately. Aggressive follow-up on students who have been assigned dropout
withdrawal codes will provide more accurate information and can effectively reduce
school and district dropout rates and improve graduation rates.
It is important to note that Florida’s accountability program for measuring adequate
yearly progress (AYP) of students at the high school level under the federal No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) legislation includes the graduation rate as an indicator. Because the
graduation rate is so closely tied to the measurement of AYP, it is critical that each
district properly utilize withdrawal codes to accurately reflect the circumstances under
which students leave the district.
The Florida School Indicators Report (http://data.fldoe.org/fsir/) and NCLB School Public
Accountability Reports (http://doeweb-prd.doe.state.fl.us/eds/nclbspar/index.cfm)
include dropout rates as indicators. In addition, graduation rate is a key performance
measure in the K-20 Education Strategic Plan required by Section 1008.31, Florida
Statutes.
Finally, districts have responsibilities related to attendance reporting that are linked to
interagency obligations with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
.
Pursuant to Section 1003.21, Florida Statutes, regular school attendance is required
between the ages of six and 16 and permitted at the age of five. A student over the age
of 16 years is subject to compulsory attendance unless the student completes a formal
declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment with the school district. The
declaration must acknowledge that leaving school will likely reduce the student’s
earning potential and must be signed by the student and the parent. The school district
must notify the child’s parent or legal guardian that a declaration of intent to leave
school has been filed in accordance with Section 1003.21(1)(c), Florida Statutes.
Section 1003.21, Florida Statutes, also stipulates that students who have attained the
attendance until they formally terminate enrollment with the district school board.
and Families (DCF) if identified by the school as either a habitual truant or dropout
(section 414.1251, Florida Statutes). This report to DCF could result in a reduction of
temporary cash assistance to eligible parent(s).
receive temporary cash assistance for their eligible dependent child or eligible teenager
may have the assistance reduced if the student is identified as either a habitual truant or
a dropout.
Children and Families (DCF) or the community-based care lead agency notify operators
of licensed early education or child care programs, including school district programs,
when designated children are enrolled in their program. These measures are designed
as an additional safeguard to insure the safety of children between the ages of three
and kindergarten entry age who are under court-ordered protective supervision or in the
custody of the Family Safety Program of DCF or a community-based care lead agency.
Children that meet the requirements established in the law will only be permitted to
withdraw from a school district-operated program with written approval from the Family
Safety Program of DCF or the community-based care lead agency.
education or care programs including school readiness programs, district-operated
Head Start programs, Title I prekindergarten programs, prekindergarten programs for
children with disabilities, programs serving the children of parents enrolled in the Teen
Prekindergarten (VPK) Education programs.
It is the intent of the Department of Education that school districts report each
this Act and enrolled in a district-operated early education or child care program to local
staff of the Family Safety Program of DCF or the community-based care lead agency by
the end of the business day following an unexcused absence or following the seventh
consecutive excused absence.
consecutive reports of unexcused absences or a report of seven consecutive excused
absences.
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
District School Board
Each district school board must establish an attendance policy that includes the
required number of days each school year that a student must attend and the number of
absences and tardies after which a statement explaining the absences and tardies must
be on file at the school. Each school district must determine if an absence or tardy is
excused or unexcused according to the established school district policy. When a
student is continually sick and repeatedly absent from school, the student must be
under the supervision of a doctor in order to receive an excuse. The doctor’s statement
should confirm that the student’s condition requires absence for more than the number
of days permitted by the district school board policy.
Section 1003.02, Florida Statutes, authorizes district school boards to establish policies
that require referral to a school’s child study team for students with fewer than five (5)
absences in thirty (30) days or ten (10) absences in ninety (90) days and allows school
district attendance policies, including accumulated tardies and early departures, to be
recorded as unexcused absences .
District Superintendent
Pursuant to section 1003.26, Florida Statutes, school attendance enforcement is the
responsibility of the district superintendent of schools. This responsibility includes the
recommendation to the school board of a policy that ensures a timely response to every
unexcused absence or absence for which the reason is unknown. The policy must
include the following requirements:
•
Schools must contact the parent after each unexcused absence to obtain the
reason for the absence and to determine if the absence is excused or unexcused
based on the district’s attendance policy.
•
The school is required to refer specific students to the school child study team to
determine if a pattern of non-attendance is developing and, if so, to meet with the
parent and student.
•
If the initial meeting with the parent does not correct the non-attendance issue,
the child study team is required to implement certain interventions to resolve the
problem. This section of Florida law also states that the interventions by the child
study team may include the superintendent filing a petition in truancy court
pursuant to Section 984.151, Florida Statutes.
•
If the truancy is unresolved, the superintendent shall refer the case to the case
staffing committee (section 984.12, Florida Statutes) and may also file a truancy
petition if appropriate. If a parent refuses to cooperate with interventions, the
superintendent may seek criminal prosecution against the parent in certain
situations.
The school district superintendent or designee is required to transmit electronically, in a
timely manner, to DHSMV the names of the students, dates of birth, gender, and, if
available, social security numbers of all students between the ages of 14 and 18 who
accumulate 15 unexcused absences in a period of 90 calendar days and students
8
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
between the ages of 14 and 18 that are withdrawn from school with a withdrawal code
that is calculated in the dropout rate.
District Dropout Prevention Coordinator
Dropout prevention programs are the district coordinator’s main responsibility. The
coordinator should assist in developing the district dropout data collection policy and the
procedures manual for distribution. As part of the district procedures, an agreement with
local community colleges to provide information on students entering the community
college prior to high school graduation would be helpful in locating dropouts.
The dropout prevention coordinator is also responsible for analyzing dropout data for
the district. Accurate record keeping is one essential way to improve the reported
graduation rate and reduce the reported dropout rate. Questions that may arise are as
follows:
•
In what grade is the largest percentage of dropouts occurring?
•
What programs are currently in place to focus on dropout prevention?
•
Are there programs that need to be developed to address the needs of potential
dropouts?
•
Are attendance-related withdrawal codes appropriately assigned?
District Information Services Staff and Program Staff
Technical staff and program staff should ensure that dropout data are reviewed for
accuracy before being transmitted to the DOE. A program should be developed so that
every 10-20 school days, lists of dropouts by specific withdrawal codes and total
numbers of dropouts for each school center and for the district are available for follow-
up. The district may want to develop an automated tracking system that would provide a
means of flagging the records of withdrawn students when their paperwork is requested
and sent to another school district, private school, juvenile justice facility, or another
state. Additionally, a procedure should be in place so that requests for transfer of
student records will be forwarded to schools.
District GED Chief Examiner or Designee
This administrator should ensure that students aged 16-19 who enroll in GED Test
programs or apply for the GED Tests are enrolled or registered by Student Number
Identifier, Florida; social security number; and last school attended. On a monthly
basis, a list of these students should be sent to the last school attended.
Adult General and Career Education School Personnel
The staff member responsible for registering students in adult general and vocational
schools should enroll them by Student Number Identifier, Florida; social security
9
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
School Registrar/Person Responsible for Enrollments
When a new student registers, the school registrar or other person responsible for
enrollments should obtain the student’s correct Student Number Identifier, Florida;
social security number; and last school attended. The previous district should be
informed of the student’s enrollment as soon as possible.
The FASTER system should be used to send a request to the previous district for a new
student’s records.
School Data Processing Clerk
When a school receives a request for the records of any previously enrolled student, the
data processing or records clerk should always check the student’s withdrawal code,
delete an inappropriate dropout or withdrawal code, and enter the correct code. This
person is a vital link between the attendance and guidance departments. If a student
was reported using code DNE at the beginning of the school year and there is
verification of the student’s attendance at another school, the clerk should enter the
correct withdrawal code.
Student Support Services Staff - Follow-up Activities
School counselors are in an ideal position to intervene and offer alternatives to students
who are at risk of dropping out of school. The school counselor must work closely with
other educators to identify potential dropouts and with community resource providers to
identify programs for individual planning to meet students’ academic, educational, and
career needs. The school counselor is expected to provide referrals to specialized
support services and should provide consultation and support to students and the
parents of students who are considering terminating school enrollment.
The 2006 Florida Legislature amended section 1003.21, Florida Statutes, to require
school counselors of students terminating school enrollment, or other school personnel,
to conduct an exit interview with the student to determine the reasons for the student’s
decision to terminate school enrollment and the actions that could be taken to keep the
student in school. This section of law also requires that the student: be informed of
opportunities to continue his or her education in a different setting, including adult
education and GED test preparation; complete a survey, in a format prescribed by the
Florida Department of Education, to provide data on the student’s reasons for
terminating enrollment and the actions taken by schools to keep students enrolled.
Students should be notified that if they are transferring from the public school to another
program (GED, community college, alternative school), an interruption of educational
services might lead to suspension of their driver’s license. Therefore, students should
be advised to continue enrollment in school until the new educational program begins.
11
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
For students who are considering terminating school enrollment, the exit interview is the
most appropriate forum to offer advisement on educational alternatives as well as make
students and parents aware of sanctions related to nonattendance. For example,
possible sanctions for students who withdraw from school with a dropout withdrawal
code include but are not limited to potential
loss of driving privileges
and possible
reduction of temporary cash assistance
for eligible
Learnfare
Program participants.
The school counselor, school social worker
or other designated staff
should also assist
parents in obtaining needed services for their child through a referral and follow-up
process and should serve as liaison between the school and community to assist the
student and parent in efforts to maintain meaningful educational opportunities.
The school social worker, the school’s attendance staff, or other designee
should
document all school-based interventions, including but not limited to contacting the
parent after each unexcused absence, meeting with the parent to resolve attendance
issues, and referring the student to the child study team for additional intervention. In
accordance with procedures outlined in the district attendance policy, the school social
worker may become actively involved in the school’s problem solving and intervention
efforts. This participation is designed to assist the school with resolving attendance
issues and may include home and school communication, referral to community service
provider(s), and facilitation of other district attendance intervention strategies (i.e.,
truancy court).
Relevant information on a student/family should be documented and shared
immediately with appropriate school staff to confirm the accuracy of student withdrawal
codes, identification numbers, social security numbers, and previous school(s)
attended.
Locating Dropouts
Two tools are provided by the Bureau of Education Information and Accountability
Services to assist schools and school districts in locating students who have left a
school.
Student Locator Program
The Student Locator program is part of the DOE Information Data Base On-line System
in the Student Component Menu (option 25) located at North West Regional Data
Center (in the CICS production system). Each district Information Services office can
access this browse-only program and use it to look for students coded as dropouts.
The user enters the student’s last name, birth date and gender and the Student Locator
program lists all students in the DOE Automated Student Data Base who match this
12
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
information. A soundex system is used on the student’s last name to expand the
students listed to catch different spellings of the last name.
Students enrolled in a Florida public school anytime during the last two years are listed.
Items included are the student number identifier, grade level, district number, and
school numbers. If a district determines that the student who withdrew is located in
another district, the district should amend the student’s withdrawal code to reflect the
appropriate status. This strategy has proven successful in reducing calculated dropout
rates.
To assist districts who wish to automate, at least partially, the task of looking up new
students in the Student Locator System, a file, DPS.DISTRICT.GQ.F61976.Y06073, is
now available that contains all the records on the Student Locator table. Districts may
download this file from NWRDC and use selected criteria (e.g., last name, gender, date
of birth) to search the file programmatically to locate new students’ prior schools and
student identification numbers.
Student Dropout Match Information
One of the best ways to follow-up on students who were identified as dropouts but who
may be enrolled in other districts is to use the Department’s Student Dropout Match
reports. Three times a year the Department extracts the records of those PK-12
students who have been identified as dropouts, including those coded DNE, from the
Prior School Status/Student Attendance format. The Department matches these records
with enrollments statewide. The names of students who have been matched and the
location of their re-enrollment are available for retrieval by school districts.
With this information, districts can correct their dropout data. If it is determined that a
student who withdrew is located in another district, the student’s withdrawal code should
be amended to reflect the appropriate status. The Department’s Bureau of Student
Assistance will notify district dropout prevention coordinators of the availability of these
records and encourage their participation in the student identification process as
appropriate.
Districts should identify as “school officials with legitimate educational interest” those
district and school-based personnel who will have access to the Student Dropout Match
reports and who will be responsible for subsequent report corrections. Select school
personnel such as guidance counselors or truancy staff may have access to the Student
Locator. The Student Locator is available via NWRDC using a software program such
as Hummingbird to locate students by using last name, date of birth and gender who
may have enrolled in other schools or districts. Those select persons may receive an ID
that allows them access only to the Locator. District MIS Directors can request such a
User ID for staff in a district.
13
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
Timeline
Survey 2, October
Prior School Status/Student Attendance records are
transmitted to DOE including students identified as DNE or
dropouts from the beginning of the school year until the
transmission date.
November
DOE matches the district records with statewide enrollment
records and makes reports available to districts.
Survey 3, February
Prior School Status/Student Attendance records are
transmitted to DOE for all students identified from the
beginning of the school year until the transmission date.
March
DOE matches the district records with statewide enrollment
records and makes reports available to districts.
In November and March, two reports and four files are available for retrieval.
Data Set Name
Description
DPSdd.GQ.F61993.Yyyyys Report of Matched Dropouts in School Districts
DPSdd.GQ.F62293.Yyyyys Report of Matched Dropouts in Community Colleges
DPSdd.GQ.F61943.Yyyyys File of Matched Dropouts in School Districts
DPSdd.GQ.F62294.Yyyyys File of Matched Dropouts in Community Colleges
DPSdd.GQ.F61657.Yyyyys File of Non-matched Dropouts in School Districts
DPSdd.GQ.F62295.Yyyyys File of Non-matched Dropouts in Community Colleges
DPSdd.GQ.F70589.Yyyyys File of Non-matched Students with W26 Withdrawal Code
Survey 5, August
After the close of Survey 5, PSS/SA records are transmitted
to DOE including all students identified as dropouts at any
time during the school year. These records are matched
against data submitted by other districts during Survey 5.
The report and files listed below are available after the close of Survey 5 processing in
September.
Data Set Name
Description
DPSdd.GQ.F61993.Yyyyys Report of Matched Dropouts in School Districts
DPSdd.GQ.F61943.Yyyyys File of Matched Dropouts in School Districts
DPSdd.GQ.F61657.Yyyyys File of Nonmatched Dropouts in School Districts
The Dropout Match reports contain a list of students matched to the community college
data and a list of students who exited to attend adult education matched to adult
education students in the school districts. Students transferring to adult programs
14
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
should be found during the Dropout Match process. Sometimes this will not happen in
the first match of the year—following Survey 2 (October) reporting—but may occur in
one of the following matches (Survey 3 in February or Survey 5 in September).
The Match reports are sent following survey periods not prior to survey periods.
Districts can provide updated information for “found” students via batch updates to the
student data system.
Questions regarding the Dropout Match process should be referred to Education
Information and Accountability Services at (850) 245-0400 or SunCom 205-0400.
Florida Automated System for Transferring Educational Records
The Florida Automated System for Transferring Educational Records (FASTER) is an
electronic mail system that is used to transfer student records between Florida public
school districts, from Florida public school districts to Florida public community colleges
and universities, and to the Department of Education. The sending district transmits
student records to Northwest Regional Data Center where the records are retrieved by
the requesting district or postsecondary institution. All school districts have been
required to transfer student records electronically since December 1992. By using this
system, districts can confirm the educational status of students identified as dropouts.
The district must then correct the withdrawal codes based on these records.
15
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
Appendix A
Entry (Re-entry) Codes for 2007-08
A. Original Entries into Florida Public Schools This School Year
E01 Any PK-12 student who was enrolled in a public school in this school district the
previous school year.
E02 Any PK-12 student whose last school of enrollment was a public school outside
of this district, or in another state or territory.
E03 Any PK-12 student whose last school of enrollment was a private school in any
Florida school district, or another state or territory.
E04 Any PK-12 student who is enrolling in a public school in this district after having
been in home education in any Florida school district, or another state or territory.
E05 Any student entering PK or KG for the first time.
E09 Any PK-12 student who enters a Florida school district from a country other than
the United States or a United States Commonwealth/Territory.
B. Reentering into Florida Public Schools
R01 Any PK-12 student who was received from another attendance reporting unit in
the same school.
R02 Any PK-12 student who was received from another school in the same district.
R03 Any PK-12 student who unexpectedly reenters a school in the same district after
withdrawing or
being discharged.
16
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
Appendix B
Withdrawal Codes for 2007-08
(Dropout codes are designated by an asterisk.)
*
DNE - Any PK-12 student who was expected to attend a school but did not enter
as expected for unknown reasons.
This code is entered in the student’s record only at the beginning of the school year.
Withdrawal code DNE can be considered a
temporary code
until the whereabouts and
educational status of a student are confirmed.
The following is an excerpt from the Florida Department of Education’s Comprehensive
Management Information System,
Automated Student Attendance Recordkeeping
System
manual.
“For those students in grades PK-12 who are expected to enroll at the beginning of
the school year and who do not return to begin the year, the district should carry the
student on the class rosters for up to a period of ten (10) school days. If the student
has not enrolled, the district must remove the student from the roll as of the first day
of school by entering the withdrawal code DNE, recording the withdrawal date as of
the first day of school, and deleting any attendance records associated with the
student. The withdrawal record must be maintained for reporting to the Florida
Department of Education.
If at any time during the year a determination is made that the student has withdrawn
for reasons other than DNE, the appropriate change must be made on the student’s
record. If a student enrolls in the district prior to day 11, the entry code on day 1 of
the 180-day school year and any attendance information must be deleted and the
appropriate entry code must be entered on the day the student enrolls. If a student
enrolls in the district at a later time, the DNE code must be deleted and the
appropriate entry code indicated on the first day that the student enters the district.
If another school system requests the student’s record, the DNE withdrawal code
must be replaced by the appropriate withdrawal code. The district must enter the
withdrawal code on the first day of the current school year.”
W01 - Any PK-12 student promoted, retained, or transferred to another
attendance reporting unit in the same school.
Examples: 1. Student changes grade levels or homerooms within the same school.
2. Student transfers into a dropout prevention program within the same
school.
3. Exceptional education student has been expelled from school and is
served in an alternative setting in the same school.
17
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
Note: Do not use this code for a student transferring within the same school into the
adult program; use code W26.
W02 - Any PK-12 student promoted, retained, or transferred to another school in
the same district.
Examples: 1. Student withdraws from one public school within the district to enter
another public school within the district.
2. Student enters the Hospital/Homebound Program (unless the program
is offered through the student’s school, in which case use W01).
3. Student enters an exceptional education or dropout
prevention/alternative education program in another public school
within the district.
4. Student enters a program for pregnant or parenting students within the
district at another school site.
5. Student is sent by the Juvenile Court to a detention facility within the
district.
6. Exceptional education student who has been expelled from school
enters an alternative setting at another school within the district.
W3A - Any PK-12 student who withdraws to attend a public school in another
district in Florida.
Examples: 1. Student withdraws to attend a public school in another district in
Florida.
2. Student is sent by the Juvenile Court to a state training school located
in another district in Florida.
3. Student enters the Job Corps or becomes a congressional page -
places where educational programs are provided in Florida.
4. Student withdraws to attend a K-8 Virtual School.
W3B - Any PK-12 student who withdraws to attend a public school out-of-state.
Examples: 1. Student withdraws to attend a public school in another state.
2. Student is sent by the Court to a facility and school or residential
placement located in another state.
3. Student enters the Job Corps, or becomes a congressional page -
places where educational programs are provided outside of Florida.
W04 - Any PK-12 student who withdraws to attend a nonpublic school in- or out-
of-state.
Examples: 1. Student is admitted to a private hospital and receives nonpublic school
education.
2. Student enrolls in a private or parochial school.
18
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
3. Student withdraws to attend a nonpublic school as a McKay
Scholarship participant.
* W05 - Any student age 16 or older who leaves school voluntarily with no
intention of returning.
Note: This code must only be used for students 16 years of age or older who have filed
the Intent to Terminate Enrollment Form.
W06 - Any student who graduated from school and met all of the requirements to
receive a standard diploma.
W6A - Any student who graduated from school and met all of the requirements to
receive a standard diploma, based on the 18-credit college preparatory
graduation option.
W6B - Any student who graduated from school and met all of the requirements to
receive a standard diploma, based on the 18-credit career preparatory
graduation option.
W07 - Any student who graduated from school with a special diploma based on
option one - mastery of the Sunshine State Standards for a special
diploma.
W08 - Any student who received a certificate of completion.
Notes:
1. This does not prevent a non-disabled student from returning for a 13th year of
educational services.
2. This does not prevent a student with disabilities from returning to receive educational
services until age 22.
W8A - Any student who met all of the requirements to receive a standard diploma
except passing the graduation test and received a certificate of completion
and is eligible to take the College Placement Test and be admitted to
remedial or credit courses at a state community college as appropriate.
W09 - Any student who received a special certificate of completion.
Note: This does not prevent a student with disabilities from returning to receive
educational services until age 22.
W10 - Any student in a GED Exit Option Model who passed the GED Tests and the
graduation test and was awarded a standard diploma.
19
Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
Explantion: Students who qualify for a GED Exit Option Model diploma must be
enrolled in grade 10 or higher and meet all requirements of the GED Exit Option
Model Program.
W12 - Any PK-12 student withdrawn from school due to death.
Explanation: If a student dies between the end of one school year and the start of the
next school year (defined as between the last day of school and the day preceding the
beginning of the next school year), the school must go back to the previous school
year’s record for the student and enter the W12 code and date of death. The student
should be deleted from the new school year file. The death of a student in all other
cases is to be entered as a W12 with the date of death. Following this procedure
ensures that the deceased student will not be scheduled or counted during the new
school year and that there will be no error in communications that could cause distress
or embarrassment.
* W13 - Any PK-12 student withdrawn from school due to court action.
Example: The court remands a student to an adult correctional facility.
Notes:
1. Code W13 should seldom be used. Follow-up should be provided for any student
assigned to an adult correctional facility. If the educational program in the adult facility is
provided by a local school district, the student should be coded W02 or W3A, as
appropriate. If the educational program is provided by a community college or adult
education facility, the student should be coded W26.
2. If a student who is not subject to compulsory school attendance elects not to
participate in the educational program and files an Intent to Terminate Enrollment Form,
the student should be coded W05.
3. Students committed to DCF or DJJ facilities, or sent to state training schools by the
juvenile court are to be coded W02 or W3A, as appropriate.
4. Students detained by court action should not be withdrawn until notification is
received by the appropriate district entity; e.g., the dropout prevention or student
services office.
* W15 - Any PK-12 student who is withdrawn from school due to nonattendance.
Note: Use this code for students who have left school with no intention of returning and
after procedures outlined in sections 1003.26 and 1003.27, Florida Statutes, have been
followed.
* W18 - Any PK-12 student who withdraws from school due to medical reasons.
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Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
Notes: Do not use this code to withdraw a student for:
1. Hospital/homebound—use code W02.
2. Home education—use code W24.
* W21 - Any PK-12 student who is withdrawn from school due to being expelled.
Example: Use this code for all expelled students.
Note: If a student who has been through the expulsion process is offered and accepts
alternative placement, use W01 or W02, as appropriate. If the expelled student
transfers to a non-public school, use code W04. If the expelled student transfers to
another school district, use code W3A.
* W22 - Any PK-12 student whose whereabouts is unknown.
Example: This code may be used for students who are withdrawn because they cannot
be located. These students will be counted and reported as dropouts.
Note: Use this code for students for whom every effort has been made to locate them.
Districts are strongly encouraged to use the Student Dropout Match Information reports
and Student Locator System provided by the Department’s Bureau of Education
Information and Accountability Services to attempt to locate these students.
* W23 - Any PK-12 student who withdraws from school for any reason other than
W01-W22 or W24-W27.
Note: This code should not be used unless all other avenues have been exhausted and
the district specifically approves its use. Students with disabilities who reach age 22
without receiving a standard diploma, special diploma, certificate of completion, or
special certificate of completion should be assigned this withdrawal code. It is
anticipated that the frequency of use for this code will be 3 percent or less statewide.
W24 - Any PK-12 student who withdraws from school to attend a home education
program.
Note: Do not use this code for homebound/hospitalized students - use W01 or W02.
W25 - Any student under the age of six who withdraws from school.
Examples: 1. Use this code for students who withdraw from prekindergarten, Head
Start, teenage parent programs, and migrant programs that serve
children under the minimum compulsory attendance age.
2. Use this code for children who are served in prekindergarten programs
and who are removed from the programs by a parent/guardian.
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Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
Note: Students under the minimum compulsory attendance age who appear as DNEs
should be changed to code W25 after the first ten days of school.
W26 - Any student who withdraws from school to enter the adult program prior to
completion of graduation requirements.
Notes:
1. If a student who is assigned code W26 does not enroll in the adult program during
the school year, the student should be recorded in the appropriate category, i.e., W05,
W15, or W22.
2. If a student is assigned code W26 and enrolled in the adult program but is no longer
enrolled by the end of the school year, the student should be re-coded in the
appropriate category by the last secondary school attended, unless the district has a
justifiable policy regarding re-coding students who do not remain in a postsecondary
program during the school year in which they withdrew.
3. This code also applies to those students who are provided programs through
cooperative agreements with adult schools in an adjoining district, at a community
college, or adult programs in other districts with which there is no cooperative
agreement.
W27 - Any student who graduated from school with a special diploma based on
option two - mastery of employment and community competencies.
WFA - Any student who graduated from school with a standard diploma based on
an 18-credit college preparatory graduation option and satisfied the
graduation test requirement through an alternate assessment.
WFB - Any student who graduated from school with a standard diploma based on
an 18-credit career preparatory graduation option and satisfied the
graduation test requirement through an alternate assessment.
WFT - Any student who graduated from school with a standard diploma and
satisfied the graduation test requirement through an alternate assessment.
WFW - Any student who graduated from school with a standard diploma and an
FCAT waiver.
WGA - Any student in a GED Exit Option Model who passed the GED Tests,
satisfied the graduation test requirement through an alternate assessment,
and was awarded a standard diploma.
WGD - Any student participating in the GED Exit Option Model who passed the
GED Tests but did not pass the graduation test and was awarded a State of
Florida diploma.
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Identifying and Reporting Dropouts for Grades PK-12, School Year 2007-08
WPO - Any student who is withdrawn from school subsequent to receiving a W07,
W08, W8A, W09 or W27 during the student’s year of high school
completion.
Note: The 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
requires that school districts provide a free and appropriate education to all students
who have not reached the age of 22 and who have not earned a standard diploma. If a
student with a disability graduates with a special diploma, a certificate of completion, or
a special certificate of completion, the student may return to school until the student
reaches 22 years of age or until he or she earns a standard diploma, whichever comes
first. If the student returns to school and then withdraws without achieving an
educational outcome beyond his or her current status, then the student should be
reported using code WPO.
Under Florida law, a non-disabled student who earns a certificate of completion may
choose to return to school for up to one additional year for remediation. If this student
withdraws from school without earning a regular diploma, then he or she should be
reported as WPO.
*
Students with codes designated with an asterisk are considered to have dropped out
of school.
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