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NSBA's Center for Public Education recently analyzed the academic performance, academic attainment, job prospects, civic involvement and health of people who take longer than the standard four years to graduate from high school. Their conclusion?

On-time graduation remains the best prospect for students, and districts should make on-time graduation the first priority for all students. But the extra work late graduates and their schools put toward earning a high school diploma pays off—not only in academic outcomes, but in every aspect of life including work, civic, and health. Late graduates do markedly better in all arenas than GED recipients and dropouts. And, when the data are controlled to compare students of equivalent socioeconomic status and achievement level, late graduates come close to on-time graduates’ achievement.

These findings could prove helpful to policymakers who yearn for consistent, valid methods for calculating high school graduation rates. Given that No Child Left Behind holds high schools accountable for improving graduation rates, the validity of those methods are pretty darn important. To what extent should we sanction schools whose students graduate late--without dropping out?

Check out the Center's new report, Better Late than Never, here.