The Collin County Observer

In response to: One Dropout Factory in Collin County
Comment from: Codu Cunningham

The methodology is a joke. That should be the headline. Makes for good headlines but this is simply not accurate. We reviewed the methodology. They looked at enrollment in 2000-01, 2001-02, and 2002-2003 and compared it to the graduation numbers in 2004, 2005, and 2006. They refer to it as "promoting power" which is the school's ability to have a student from their 9th grade year through senior year. In other words, they look at the enrollment in 12th grade and divide by the number of students in 9th grade four years earlier. They state that to be eligible to be considered a "dropout factory" the senior class must be "made up of 60 percent or fewer of the kids who entered as freshman." No consideration is given to transfers (i.e. REZONING), students that move to other schools, students that graduate early, students that take online courses and graduate early, etc.

Now, let's think about how all of these could impact McKinney? North High School since it was newly opened in 2000. McKinney? North High School housed 9th graders from McKinney? North High School AND McKinney? High School in 2000-2001, or a total of 820 students. In 2002-2003 the number of 10th graders was 283. Did 537 9th graders drop out? Of course not, they returned to McKinney? High School, their home campus. The methodology used in this study divides the number of students graduating four years later. Of course the number is going to be way off, that's because they were assuming all of these students should have stayed at MNHS. Absolutely ridiculous. They didn't ask though, they used raw numbers so they wouldn't have known. In addition, they don't factor students that may have moved, been rezoned, graduated early, etc.

Our dropout rates in grades 9-12, as reported by the Texas Education Agency:

2004 1.6%
2005 1.6%

The truth is that their study is testing student mobility, not dropouts, and they didn't even get that right. Thanks for the opportunity to set the record straight.

Cody Cunningham
Asst. to the Superintendent for Communications
McKinney? ISD

Bill responds: "You're welcome."