Abstract
The intent of this article was to demonstrate that reporting only student dropout rates can be extremely misleading. Precisely how this common reporting practice is misleading was demonstrated first by using a hypothetical case study, and then by using a real data case study based on student dropout information provided for the 1988–1989 school year in the Bryan ISD.
The solution to this problem was straightforward. School district reports and newspaper articles on school dropouts should present both student dropout rates and student dropout counts in a single graphic representation or data table. This reporting practice would substantially reduce opportunities for anyone in the school community to reach incorrect conclusions or to advance unwarranted stereotypic statements about the school district and any racial group of students residing in the district.
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