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upplemental Reading
O
ne popular saying in America is that “there are lies, damn lies, and
statistics.” This means that statistics are often deceiving. Statistical
numbers reveal facts that appear to be true but, in reality, mask a
truth that is much more complicated.
Many researchers think this is the case with
dropout statistics. National high school dropout
rates are difficult to accurately determine for
several reasons. First, each state records dropouts
differently. There is no national standard for what
the term “dropout” means. Some students “drop
out” of one school after their freshman year and then go to another school to
finish their high school career. Others do not finish high school but later take a
special test and receive a General Education Diploma, or GED, which is equivalent
to a high school diploma.
Statistical discrepancies can cause confusion. For example, several studies
have recently claimed that the US high school dropout rate is about 25 percent.
But the National Center for Education Statistics showed the US dropout rate at
14 percent. How can the statistics be so different? Which ones are more correct?
The answers are not clear, and researchers add to the confusion by arguing
among themselves.
The validity of statistics depends on how they are calculated. Statistics often
don’t reflect different factors in determining the statistics. They give us a picture
of a situation, but the picture is not always accurate.
