CHAPTER 430
FORMERLY
SENATE BILL NO. 387
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOME ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTING.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE :
WHEREAS, the mission of the Department of Education is to promote the highest quality education for every Delaware student; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative to an effective system of public education to understand how public school students succeed in life once they have left the public school system; and
WHEREAS, accurate and timely data concerning high school graduates are essential to this understanding:
NOW THEREFORE:
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend §156, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by adding the following at the end thereof:
“(c) Beginning in the year 2001, the Secretary of Education shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly each year an annual education outcome report. The report must be based on the unit count taken in September of the school year immediately preceding the annual reporting date and must contain the following information:
(1) the number of students enrolled in 12th grade, based on the September unit count;
(2) the number of those students still enrolled at the close of the school year who receive a high school diploma and the type of diploma received;
(3) the number of those students still enrolled at the close of the school year who complete 12th grade, but do not receive a high school diploma;
(4) the number of those students who, by the close of the school year, have dropped out of school; and
(5) the number of those students who, by the close of the school year, transferred to other schools.
(d) Each year the Secretary shall conduct a graduate follow up study of students who completed the 12th grade during the preceding school year to determine the educational and employment status of each student. The survey shall request information regarding the post-secondary education enrollment status and the employment status of students and shall at a minimum, include the following questions:
(1) a. Is the student presently enrolled in a post-secondary educational institution of any type?
b. Is the student enrolled full time or part time?
c. What is the student's major area of study?
d. What is the name of the institution in which the student is enrolled?
(2) a. Is the student presently employed?
b. Is the student employed full time or part time?
c. The name and address of the student’s employer?
d. In what industry is the student employed?
e. What position does the student hold?
f. What is the student's hourly/weekly/annual salary?
(3) What is the student's perception of the value of his or her secondary education in terms of preparation for post-secondary education or employment?
(e) For the purpose of performing a comparative longitudinal analysis of the information collected for an annual educational outcome report, the Secretary shall compile similar information about students who graduated in 1998 and 1999, and shall use the 1998 information as the basis for all comparisons. The goal of educational outcome accountability is to decrease the 13% 1998 Delaware public school dropout rate for grade 12, as published in the Department of Education report entitled Delaware Dropouts, 1997-1998 Summary Statistics, December 1998.
(f) Nothing in this section prohibits the Department of Education from conducting a more comprehensive survey and/or evaluation for the annual educational outcome report.”