Full Report - Center for Collaborative Education

3. Operational Database
The school-level data were then merged into the
student-level database on the school ID variable. A
given school’s AYP and teacher qualifications data
were assigned to each student enrolled in that
school. Each row of data in the operational database
represented a unique student.
4. Dropout Database
A separate database was created for use in analyzing
dropout data only. As noted above, this
database contained the “summer” and “0-1/1-1”
students who had been removed from the operational
database as well as all students contained in
the operational database. Including in the dropout
database these students who had been removed
allowed the research team to analyze a more accurate
dropout rate.
Syntax used in the operational database to create
student subgroup variables, to merge October and
June SIMS data into a single variable, and to create
or categorize variables was run on the dropout
database to duplicate these variables. School-level
data were also merged with the student-level data
in the dropout database.
A dropout variable was created, as described in
Table 3. The merged October/June SIMS enrollment
variable (DOE012) was recoded into a dropout
dummy variable. For SY2007-2009, the following
codes were collapsed into a “dropped out” category:
Dropout – enrolled in a non-diploma granting
adult education program (30); Dropout – entered
Job Corps (31); Dropout – entered the military (32);
Dropout – incarcerated, district no longer providing
educational services (33); Dropout – left due to
employment (34); Dropout – confirmed dropout,
plans unknown (35); and Dropout – student status/
location ! unknown (36). All other codes were
!
Table 3: Annual Dropout Variable
codes were collapsed into “did not drop out.” For
SY2006, SIMS only used one dropout category (03
“dropped out”).
If a student dropped out as of the October SIMS but
was re-enrolled as of the June SIMS (or listed with
any other enrollment code other than the dropout
codes), we did not consider the student to have
dropped out. But, because we report an annual
dropout rate rather than a cohort dropout rate, a
student who dropped out in one school year may or
may not have re-enrolled in school in a subsequent
school year and may or may not have dropped out
in a subsequent school year.
The research team followed the MDESE dropout
methodology by: including in the annual dropout
rate students who dropped out in the summer
prior to a given school year as well as students who
dropped out during a given school year; assigning,
for summer dropouts, the grade in which the student
dropped out as the grade s/he was supposed
to enter for the next school year, according to SIMS;
for summer dropouts, assigning the school from
which they dropped out as the last school they attended
in SY2008, prior to dropping out.
Variable Definition Source
Annual The annual dropout rate reports the percentage of SIMS DOE012
Dropout students who dropped out of school in a specific year
Rate (MDOE, 2007). We follow the MDESE dropout This variable was created in the dropout database which
methodology (MDESE, 2010) and include in the annual included “summer” and “0-1/1-1” students that had been
dropout rate students who dropped out in the summer
prior to a given school year as well as students who
removed from the operational database.
dropped out during the given school year. We report DOE012 was recoded into a dropout dummy variable.
on both high school and middle school annual dropout For SY2006-SY2008, codes 30-36 into “dropped out;”
rate. MDESE reports only on the high school dropout all other codes were codes were collapsed into “did not
rate, labeling as truancy the dropout rate in middle
school.
drop out.”
114 Improving Educational Outcomes of English Language Learners in Schools and Programs in Boston Public Schools