Cohort Graduation and Dropout Report 2021

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) calculates two cohort graduation statistics annually. The Virginia On-Time Graduation Rate defines graduates as students who earn Advanced Studies, Standard, IB, or Applied Studies Diplomas for students who entered the ninth-grade for the first time together and were scheduled to graduate four years later. The formula also recognizes that some students with disabilities and limited English proficient (EL) students are allowed more than the standard four years to earn a diploma and counts those students as 'on-time' graduates.

The Federal Graduation Indicator limits graduates to students who earn Advanced Studies, Standard, or IB Diplomas. And, it does not include any allowances for students that are allowed more than four years to graduate. The FGI is solely used for required federal accountability reporting.