Central Bureau of Statistics המדען הראשי אגף א' חינוך, השכלה וכוחות הוראה

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Central Bureau of Statistics המדען הראשי אגף א' חינוך, השכלה וכוחות הוראה"

Marylou Mosley
8 years ago
Views:

1 Computation of dropout in schools supervised by the Ministry of Education during the school year and in the transition to the following year Michal Salansky, Haim Portnoy Data sources currently used ICBS's statistics on primary and secondary education is primarily based on administrative student files produced by the Ministry of Education. These micro-data are comprised by some 1.9 million individual student records with a unique national ID, which allows us to make record matching with other identified micro-data sources. The national student file is provided to the ICBS twice a year with data for the beginning and the end of the current school year. Secondary sources used by the ICBS are the Ministry of Economy's student files (Some 13 thousand students in secondary education that combines school and work vocational apprenticeships) and the Higher Yeshivas files, administered by the Ministry of Education. These institutions cater for Jewish orthodox and ultra-orthodox adults (mainly males aged 17 and above), and their studies are considered part of the Jewish religious way of life. Although these are not secondary education institutions, the age span for entering Higher Yeshivas is flexible, and apparently many students move on to these institutions at an age when we would expect them to find them in regular secondary education. This file includes some 140 thousand records (adults of all ages), but only a small percentage of these are of an age that makes them eligible for the calculation of secondary education dropout. Currently, all three of the aforementioned data sources are used for the calculation of student dropout in secondary education, using data matching of unique IDs at the individual student level. The main Ministry of Education's national student file accounts for all primary and secondary education, while generally the other two data files are sources for students who began the school year in secondary education. 1

9 million individual student records with a unique national ID, which allows us to make record matching with other identified micro-data sources.

2 Principles guiding the current calculation methodology The dropout rates are computed for one specific school year. The basis population (the denominator in the calculation) is comprised by students who began the school year in the baseline year in a school supervised by the Ministry of Education, i.e. students included in the Ministry's national student file at the beginning of the school year. Students who dropped out of school are students who began the school year but quitted their studies and left either during the baseline year or in the transition from the baseline year to the following school year. The dropout is calculated for one specific school year only, i.e. it is not cumulative. A student who was counted as dropping out in a certain year, will not be counted again as such in upcoming years (unless in case of recidivism: He/she returned to regular education and then dropped out again in a different year). Definitions Student dropping out of school: A student may leave the school in which he/she studied in a certain year, either during the ongoing school year or in the transition to the following school year. As a result of leaving that school, the student may apply to another school under the supervision of the Ministry of Education or leave this system altogether. Leaving this system is defined as "dropping out", whether the student drops out of any educational setting, or whether that student transfers to an educational institution outside the educational system of the Ministry of Education. Not considered students dropping out of school: Those who left the education system and stayed abroad for at least 100 consecutive days Those who left the education system and returned the following year 2

Students who dropped out of school are students who began the school year but quitted their studies and left either during the baseline year or in the transition from the baseline year to the

3 Gross dropout: All students who dropped out of schools supervised by the Ministry of Education, irrespective of whether they applied to other educational institutions outside its supervision (e.g. apprenticeships or higher yeshivas). Net dropout: All students who dropped out of schools supervised by the Ministry of Education, with the exception of students who applied to apprenticeships supervised by the Ministry of Economy or to higher yeshivas. Current dropout indicators at the ICBS: Gross dropout Stemming from the abovementioned definitions, a "dropout status" variable is created from the working data files, specifying the various types of students identified for the purpose of calculation of gross dropout. The main statuses used are as follows: Figure 1: Dropout statuses created for the calculation of gross dropout Dropout status Description Computation method Dropout 14 A student who left studies during the baseline school year 15 A student who left studies during the transition between the baseline school year and the following year 16 A student who left studies during the baseline school year but returned to school on the following year 17 A student who left studies during the baseline school year but had stayed abroad for at least 100 consecutive days The leaving date is between Sept 1 st of the calendar year of the beginning of studies and July 1 st of the calendar year of the end of studies The leaving date on the calendar year of the end of studies is between June 1 st and Sept 1 st The leaving date is between Sept 1 st of the calendar year of the beginning of studies and July 1 st of the calendar year of the end of studies Calculated using an external file containing border crossing dates classification Gross dropout Gross dropout Does not drop out Does not drop out 3

Net dropout: All students who dropped out of schools supervised by the Ministry of Education, with the exception of students who applied to apprenticeships supervised by the Ministry of Economy or to

4 Gross dropout is currently the main type of dropout calculation in use by ICBS, and is the basis for dropout data reports delivered periodically to the Ministry of Education, e.g. on an annual CD-ROM containing a very detailed picture of gross dropout by school, locality, district etc. It is also the source for an annual table published on Israel's Statistical Abstract (see Figure 8.33 on the Annex), as well as a dropout map based on the same data source. Another regular output for this indicator is the student dropout chapter on the annual publication "Society in Israel" (including a table and two graphs on its 2012 edition). Current dropout indicators at the ICBS: Net dropout Since many students who leave the main education system can be found in alternative programmes which can be considered formal education, the limits of "dropping out" are open to interpretations and are in fact flexible. In recent years, the ICBS calculates and publishes a more sophisticated definition of dropout net dropout besides the main existing operationalization of "gross" dropout. Therefore, a further analysis of those who dropped out of the Ministry of Education's system (gross dropout) shows that on a given year, about 4000 of "gross" dropouts can in fact be found studying in apprenticeships supervised by the Ministry of Economy, and 3000 more can be found in higher yeshivas funded by the Ministry of Education. Hence the difference that can be appreciated between the calculations of gross and net dropout: Figure 2: Gross and Net dropout rates in grades 1 st -12 th, 2012 Population Total Gross student dropout Net student dropout students Absolute numbers Dropout rate Absolute numbers Dropout rate 1 st -12 th grade 1,539,662 26, % 20, % Thereof: 716,127 22, % 15, % 7 th -12 th grade 4

It is also the source for an annual table published on Israel's Statistical Abstract (see Figure 8.33 on the Annex), as well as a dropout map based on the same data source.

5 As can be seen on Figure 1, for grades 7 th -12 th, where the vast majority of dropping out occurs, deducting the two additional populations of students makes the dropout rates to drop from 3.11% (gross dropout) to 2.18% (net dropout). Net dropout is the source for an annual table published on Israel's Statistical Abstract (see Figure 8.34 on the Annex). Another regular output for this indicator is a table in the student dropout chapter on the annual publication "Society in Israel" (whereas the rest of the figures are on gross dropout, as mentioned above). Populations not covered by the current methodology Student dropout at the ICBS is currently derived from the data contained in three major sources: The national student file for primary and secondary education (Ministry of Education), the apprenticeships file for secondary education (Ministry of Economy) and the student file on higher yeshivas (Ministry of Education). Nevertheless, these data have their limitations, and although it provides a wide picture of the dropout phenomenon, it can still be complemented by adding further data sources. The Hila programme, providing complementary education for school-excluded youth, comprises quasi-formal education for about 4000 disengaged youth aged Up till now, this population has not been part of the dropout computation, therefore considering the population in these programmes, as far as they were not included in any of the participating data files, as net dropouts. A methodology is still to be developed so as to encompass this population as part of the education scope, and enable the reclassification of these apparent dropouts as enrolled students. 5

Another regular output for this indicator is a table in the student dropout chapter on the annual publication "Society in Israel" (whereas the rest of the figures are on gross dropout, as mentioned

6 6

7 7

Children in Egypt 2014 A STATISTICAL DIGEST

Children in Egypt 2014 A STATISTICAL DIGEST CHAPTER 8 EDUCATION Children in Egypt 2014 is a statistical digest produced by UNICEF Egypt to present updated and quality data on major dimensions of child