The Cumulative Promotion Index (CPI) method of calculating graduation rates can be used to examine the high school pipeline. That is, we can estimate the numbers of students who fall off track for earning a diploma at various points between the 9th grade and the expected time of graduation.
The 9th grade is the leading point of student loss across most student groups and educational environments. However, the rate of student loss during the freshman year is more severe for moredisadvantaged groups and school systems. More than 40 percent of the student loss in high-poverty districts occurs at the 9th grade, compared with 27 percent in low-poverty settings.
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