Reporting errors, missing graduates mar Minnesota graduation rate calculations

The Minnesota Department of Education on Thursday reported a slight slip in the state's graduation rates, but two districts — Minneapolis and St. Paul — said hundreds of summer graduates were missing. In the end, both districts still saw declines in their respective graduation rates. But the episode highlighted what some officials and advocates have been saying: Minnesota needs to get its student data in order. At issue was a pool of students classified by the state as "unknown" — meaning it was unclear where they went after they left...