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Using Administrative Data to Estimate Graduation Rates: Challenges, Proposed Solutions and their Pitfalls Joydeep Roy Economic Policy Institute and Georgetown University Lawrence Mishel Economic Policy Institute Citation: Roy, J., & Mishel, L. (2008). Using administrative data to estimate graduation rates: Challenges, Proposed solutions and their pitfalls. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 16(11). Retrieved [date] from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v16n11/. Abstract In recent years there has been a renewed interest in understanding the levels and trends in high school graduation in the U.S. A big and influential literature has argued that the “true” high school graduation rate remains at an unsatisfactory level, and that the graduation rates for minorities (Blacks and Hispanics) are alarmingly low. In this paper we take a closer look at the different measures of high school graduation which have recently been proposed and which yield such low estimates of graduation rates. We argue that the nature of the variables in the Common Core of Data, the dataset maintained by the U.S. Department of Education that is the main source for all of the new measures, requires caution in calculating graduation rates, and the adjustments that have been proposed often impart significant downward bias to the estimates. Keywords: High school graduation; measurement; Common Core of Data El uso de datos administrativos para estimar tasas de graduación: Desafíos, soluciones propuestas y sus peligros Resumen En los últimos años ha habido un renovado interés en la comprensión de los niveles y tendencias de la graduación de la escuela secundaria en los EE.UU. Una gran e influyente literatura ha argumentado que la "verdadera" tasa de graduación escolar se mantiene en un nivel insatisfactorio, y que las tasas de graduación de las minorías (negros e hispanos) son alarmantemente bajas. En este trabajo se examina con mayor atención los indicadores de graduación de escuelas secundarias que recientemente se han propuesto, que dan por resultado esas estimaciones de las tasas de graduación excesivamente bajas. Nosotros sostenemos que la naturaleza de las variables en la Base Central de Datos (Common Core of Data), desarrollada por Departamento de Educación de los EE.UU. que es la principal fuente para todas las nuevas medidas, demandan cautela en el cálculo de las tasas de graduación, ya que las adaptaciones que se han propuesto, ha menudo implican un importante sesgo para reducir las estimaciones de graduación. Palabras clave: graduación de la escuela secundaria; de medición; base común de datos. Access this article in PDF format. 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All other uses must be approved by the author(s) or EPAA. EPAA is published jointly by the Mary Lou Fulton College of Education at Arizona State University and the College of Education at the University of South Florida. Articles are indexed by H.W. Wilson & Co. Please contribute commentary at http://epaa.info/wordpress/ and send errata notes to Sherman Dorn (epaa-editor@shermandorn.com).