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GLOSSARY OF TERMS - GRADUATION RATE DATA

A group of students who first entered grade 9 in the same school year. See the SIRS Manual for a more complete definition.

Students whose last enrollment record indicated they dropped out of school.

Economically disadvantaged students are those who participate in, or whose family participates in, economic assistance programs, such as the free or reduced-price lunch programs, Social Security Insurance (SSI), Food Stamps, Foster Care, Refugee Assistance (cash or medical assistance), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Safety Net Assistance (SNA), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), or Family Assistance: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). If one student in a family is identified as low income, all students from that household (economic unit) may be identified as low income.

English Language Learners (ELLs) are those who, by reason of foreign birth or ancestry, speak or understand a language other than English and speak or understand little or no English, and require support in order to become proficient in English and are identified pursuant to Section 154.3 of Commissioner's Regulations.

A student who was identified as an English Language Learner in any of the four years prior to the reported school year and who was exited from the status because they demonstrated proficiency in English.

Students whose last enrollment record indicated they transferred to an Approved Alternative HS Equivalency Program.

Gender of the student being reported, as identified by the student. In the case of very young students not yet able to advocate for themselves, gender may be identified by the parent or guardian. A student's gender category can change from year to year if they change how they identify. Beginning in SY 2021-22, nonbinary students can be reported with gender "X."

Graduates include students who received a local diploma or a local diploma with Regents endorsement (Regents diploma). All students who received a Regents diploma (with or without Advanced Designation or CTE Endorsement) are included in the number of students with Regents diploma.

Student who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including a student who is sharing the housing of other persons due to a loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; abandoned in hospitals; or a migratory child, as defined in subsection 2 of section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, who qualifies as homeless under any of the above provisions; or has a primary nighttime location that is a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations including, but not limited to, shelters operated or approved by the State or local department of social services, and residential programs for runaway and homeless youth established pursuant to article 19H of the executive law or a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, public space, abandoned building, substandard housing, bus, train stations, or similar setting. Homeless students do not include children in foster care placements or who are receiving educational services pursuant to subdivision four, five, six, six-a, or seven of Education Law section 3202 or pursuant to article 81, 85, 87, or 88 of Education Law.

Student who is in 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents and for whom the agency under title IV-E of the Social Security Act has placement and care responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, placements in foster family homes, foster homes of relatives, group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, childcare institutions, and pre-adoptive homes. A child is in foster care in accordance with this definition regardless of whether or not the foster care facility is licensed and payments are made by the State, tribal, or local agency for the care of the child, whether adoption subsidy payments are being made prior to the finalization of an adoption, or whether there is federal matching of any payments that are made.

Can only be obtained by students with disabilities with an individualized education program or section 504 Accommodation Plan. For complete information on the requirements for this diploma see Diploma Requirements.

A student is a migrant child if the student is, or whose parent, guardian, or spouse is, a migratory agricultural worker, including a migratory dairy worker or a migratory fisher, and who, in the preceding 36 months, in order to obtain, or accompany such parent, guardian, or spouse, in order to obtain, temporary or seasonal employment in agricultural or fishing work has moved from one school district to another.

This commencement option includes Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS), Skills and Achievement credentials, and previously earned Individualized Education Program (IEP) Diplomas. IEP Diplomas were discontinued after the 2012-13 school year.

Student with one or more parent or guardian who is a member of the Armed Forces and on Active Duty. The Armed Forces are the Army, Navy, Air Force, 5 Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, or full-time National Guard. Active duty means full-time duty in the active military service of the United States. Such term includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in the active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary of the military department concerned.

Race or races with which the student primarily identifies as indicated by the student or the parent/guardian.

  • American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
  • Asian or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam; or a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
  • Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
  • Hispanic or Latino: A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
  • White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.
  • Multiracial: Non-Hispanic students who are reported with more than one race.

Requires a student pass a minimum of 5 Regents examinations in addition to meeting course and credit requirements. For complete information on the requirements for this diploma see Diploma Requirements.

Requires a student pass a minimum of 8 Regents examinations in addition to meeting course and credit requirements. For complete information on the requirements for this diploma see Diploma Requirements.

Students whose last enrollment record indicated they were still enrolled in high school.


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