KSDE data: virtual program graduates have lower on‑time graduation rates, agency says

A KSDE presenter shared statewide graduation and non‑graduation counts disaggregated by subgroup and program type, and told the committee the lowest cohort graduation rate in the dataset was for students enrolled in virtual programs.

The presenter reported 2,683 virtual graduates and said the virtual cohort's on‑time graduation rate was 68.3 percent, lower than the statewide average. The presenter cautioned that virtual student records may not always carry special education or subgroup codes if parental consent was revoked during enrollment, which can complicate disaggregation for students with disabilities.

Nut graf: KSDE said the available data show virtual programs had the lowest cohort graduation rates and that districts and the state will need further disaggregated reporting (for example, special education status, IEP vs. revoked consent) to understand subgroup outcomes and to plan targeted supports. The agency noted that some virtual programs enroll older students who complete diplomas or GEDs over a longer time horizon and that study of multiyear outcomes is needed.

Committee members asked whether KSDE can break out students with disabilities who attend virtual programs and whether the agency can request additional reports from data vendors; KSDE staff said they can run data requests but that some records will require additional work to verify coding and consent status. One committee member suggested KSDE engage the virtual education advisory council as a partner for further analysis and invited a virtual school representative to meet with SEAC in April.

Ending: KSDE provided a statewide snapshot showing lower on‑time graduation for virtual students, and committed to follow up on disaggregation options and potential outreach to virtual school stakeholders.