Graduation rates
Which is heavier: eight or nine?
Anyone versed in middle school science would tell you the answer depends on each number's unit. Eight bowling balls clearly are heavier than nine feathers, and vice versa.
Similarly, which is greater: 57 percent or 70 percent?
In terms of high school graduation rates, currently measured through a grab bag of state-determined formulas, the answer is unclear.
But Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education, is pushing for a federal standard for evaluation, permitting interstate comparisons of high school dropout rates to finally have some relevance.
If we hope to accomplish more than comparing apples to oranges, dropout rates must be calculated according to the same formula.
According to the New York Times, New Mexico evaluates its graduation rate on the basis of enrolled seniors who receive a diploma - a calculation that notoriously overlooks students who drop out prior to their senior year.
North Carolina, a state that recently switched to a more accurate formula, had its graduation rate plummet to 68 percent from 95 percent, according to the Times.
These sorts of discrepancies exemplify the need for a federally enforced formula, one that would be both accurate and nationwide.
Though Spellings has yet to announce the national formula, it may resemble a calculation proposed by the National Governors Association, which divides the number of diploma recipients by the number of first-time ninth-graders four years ago, the Times reported.
Though it's still not perfect, it at least is an improvement over fudged figures like those in New Mexico.
However, once the figures do come in - and the results likely will be unfavorable - there must be a concerted, federal effort to help failing schools get up to par.
Before aid can come, we must know where it is most needed, and accurate figures are an essential step toward doing so.
