This data story illustrates the scope of chronic absenteeism in Massachusetts, how it affects student success, and evidence-based strategies to improve student attendance.

This dataset provides the number and percentage Massachusetts public high school students who dropped out of high school since 2008. It also includes the percentage of dropouts by grade.

Dropout rate is calculated as the percentage of students in a given grade who dropped out of school between July 1 and June 30 prior to the listed year and who did not return to school by the following October 1. Dropouts are defined as students who leave school prior to graduation for reasons other than transfer to another school. Dropout rates are not reported for any student group where the number of students is less than 6.

Economically Disadvantaged was used 2015-2021. Low Income was used prior to 2015, and a different version of Low Income has been used since 2022. Please see the DESE Researcher's Guide for more information.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DESE Profiles site:
Dropout Report

This Excel workbook includes tools to analyze Massachusetts public high school dropouts in grades 9–12 in order to determine the size of particular groups of dropouts for strategic interventions and planning.

The analysis includes characteristics of students in grades 9–12 who dropped out of school in the 2021-22 school year. For more information, please visit the Massachusetts Analysis of Dropout Data homepage.

The District Analysis and Review Tools (DARTs) offer snapshots of district and school performance, allowing users to easily track select data elements over time, and make sound, meaningful comparisons to the state or to "comparable" organizations.

This dataset is a long file that contains multiple rows for each school and district, with rows for different years, different student groups, and a wide range of indicators.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DART Detail:
Success After High School Online Dashboard

Below is a list of indicators that are included within the dataset. Note: "Student progression from high school through second year of postsecondary education" and "Student progression from high school through postsecondary degree completion" are available for download in this companion dataset. These two indicators are separate from the main DART: Success After High School download since the data are in a different format.

Context

• Stability rate (enrolled all year)
• Student Enrollment

HS Indicators

• 4-year cohort graduation rate
• 5-year cohort graduation rate
• 9th to 10th grade promotion rate (first-time 9th graders only)
• Annual dropout rate
• Chronically absent rate (% of students absent 10% or more each year)
• Student attendance rate
• Students absent 10 or more days each year
• Students suspended out-of-school at least once

HS Performance

• Average student growth percentiles (SGP) in ELA
• Average student growth percentiles (SGP) in mathematics
• Grade 10 students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA
• Grade 10 students meeting or exceeding expectations in mathematics
• Jr / Sr AP test takers scoring 3 or above
• Jr / Sr enrolled in one or more AP / IB courses
• Jr / Sr who took AP courses and participated in one or more AP tests
• SAT average score - Mathematics
• SAT average score - reading
• Test takers scoring 3 or above on the Advanced Placement (AP) by category - All subjects
• Test takers scoring 3 or above on the Advanced Placement (AP) by category - Art
• Test takers scoring 3 or above on the Advanced Placement (AP) by category - English
• Test takers scoring 3 or above on the Advanced Placement (AP) by category - Foreign Language
• Test takers scoring 3 or above on the Advanced Placement (AP) by category - History/Social Science
• Test takers scoring 3 or above on the Advanced Placement (AP) by category - Mathematics
• Test takers scoring 3 or above on the Advanced Placement (AP) by category - Science

Postsecondary Outcomes

• College students persistently enrolled in postsecondary education for the first two years
• Grade 12 students who completed FAFSA
• High school graduates enrolled in 2-year postsecondary education
• High school graduates enrolled in 4-year postsecondary education
• Students enrolled in postsecondary education in the immediate fall after high school graduation
• Student progression from high school through postsecondary degree completion
• Student

This dataset contains special education indicators since 2017. It is a long file that contains multiple rows for each district, with rows for different years, comparing students with disabilities, students without disabilities, and all students on a wide range of indicators. Not all indicators are available for all years. For definitions of each indicator, please visit the RADAR Special Education Dashboard.

Resource Allocation and District Action Reports (RADAR) enable district leaders to compare their staffing, class size, special education services, school performance, and per-pupil spending data with similar districts. They are intended to support districts in making effective strategic decisions as they develop district plans and budgets.

This dataset is one of five containing the same data that is also published in the RADAR Special Education Dashboard:
Special Education Program Characteristics and Student Demographics
Special Education Placement Trajectory
Students Moving In and Out of Special Education Services
Special Education Indicators
Special Education Student Progression from High School through Postsecondary Education

Below is a list of indicators that are included within the dataset. Note: "Student progression from high school through second year of postsecondary education" and "Student progression from high school through postsecondary degree completion" are available for download in this companion dataset. These two indicators are separate from the main Special Education Indicators download since the data are in a different format.

Context

• Stability rate (enrolled all year)
• Student Enrollment

Student Outcomes

• 4-year cohort graduation rate
• 5-year cohort graduation rate
• 9th to 10th grade promotion rate (first-time 9th graders only)
• Annual dropout rate
• Chronically absent rate (% of students absent 10% or more each year)
• Student attendance rate
• Students absent 10 or more days each year
• Students suspended in school at least once
• Students suspended out-of-school at least once

Assessments (Next Gen MCAS)

• Average student growth percentiles (SGP) in ELA (Grades 3-8)
• Average student growth percentiles (SGP) in ELA (Grade 10)
• Average student growth percentiles (SGP) in math (Grades 3-8)
• Average student growth percentiles (

The District Analysis and Review Tools (DARTs) offer snapshots of district and school performance, allowing users to easily track select data elements over time, and make sound, meaningful comparisons to the state or to "comparable" organizations. The waterfall data shows a cohort of high school students and their progression through high school graduation, college enrollment and persistence in higher education to a second year or college completion.

This is a companion dataset to the main DART: Success After High School dataset. It contains two indicators published separately from the main dataset since the data are in a different format: "Student progression from high school through second year of postsecondary education" and "Student progression from high school through postsecondary degree completion". For all other DART: Success After High School indicators, please visit the main DART: Success After High School dataset.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DART Detail:
Success After High School Online Dashboard

The District Analysis and Review Tools (DARTs) turn the Department's vast amount of data into valuable, easily consumable information. The DARTs offer snapshots of district and school performance, allowing users to easily track select data elements over time, and make sound, meaningful comparisons to the state or to "comparable" organizations. The data elements in each DART tool are linked to a broader strategic framework defining the characteristics of effective educational organizations and cover a broad range of district and school interests including demographic, assessment, student support, educator, financial, and achievement gap data. The DARTs, in combination with other tools found on this website, may be utilized by district and school leaders in enacting each of the six district standards upon which district reviews, improvement planning, and other forms of accountability and assistance are based: Leadership & Governance, Curriculum & Instruction, Assessment, Human Resources & Professional Development, Student Support, and Financial & Asset Management.

The DARTs Staffing and Finance Report offers snapshots of district and school performance, allowing users to easily track select data elements over time, and make comparisons to the state. The data elements in each DART tool are linked to a broader strategic framework defining the characteristics of effective educational organizations and cover a broad range of district and school interests including demographic, assessment, student support, educator, financial, and achievement gap data.

The DART for English Learners (ELs) dashboard consolidate state data on English learners into a single tool. This tool can be used to understand EL students’ demographics, progress, and outcomes as well as to compare districts with each other and the state. The information contained in this report is closely tied with the Office of Language Acquisition's program review requirements.

The DARTs provide a gauge of the overall condition of a district or school, but do not have all available information. They should be treated as a good starting point for exploring the data and identifying areas of focus for further inquiry. Please see the Info tab on the dashboard for detailed data analysis considerations.

The DART: Success After High School Dashboard is a tool used to support the self-evaluation process for whole districts as well as individual schools. It contains a set of data elements provide an indication of the overall condition of a district or school's efforts to ensure all students are ready for their next steps as productive and contributing members of society.

This tool contains data elements that cover a range of school, district, post-secondary and career readiness information including demographics, high school indicators, high school performance, programs of study, post-secondary education outcomes, and career development education.

The DARTs provide a gauge of the overall condition of a district or school, but do not have all available information. They should be treated as a good starting point for exploring the data and identifying areas of focus for further inquiry. Please see the Info tab on the dashboard for detailed data analysis considerations.