Why are dropout rates so unreliable?

Still confused about why dropout rates don't correlate to graduation rates? Not sure why a single school district might have two or three different dropout rates? National Public Radio's Claudio Sanchez, a former elementary and middle school teacher, has produced a good explanation of the history behind dropout rates — and why the reported rates can be so unreliable.

"Part of the problem is that every state has had a different definition for dropout. In some states, for example, students who leave school aren't counted as having dropped out if they enroll in adult education classes like night school," Sanchez writes.

State-specific rates are often more generous to the districts than reality warrants, Sanchez reports. At the same time, the federal "common measures" don't always accurately reflect regional challenges (migrant students in the American southwest, for instance.)

Our take: We don't know of a single school district in the country that doesn't have a dropout problem — so while data is helpful for identifying what districts might need more help in battling this epidemic, too much focus on numbers takes attention away from students and interventions.

Numbers are a tool. And like any tool, there isn't one perfect for every job.